PROCEEDINGS 

of  the 

Pan-American  Road  Congress 


Held  Under  the  Joint  Auspices  of  the 

American  Road   Builders'  Association 

and  the 

American  Highway   Association 

with   the   cooperation   of   the 

Pacific    Highway    Association 

and    the 

Tri-State    Good    Roads    Association 

at 

Oakland,    California 
September  13,  14,  15,  16  and  17,  1915 


Price  Two  Dollars 


Published  by  the  Executive  Committee 

Pan-American  Road  Congrpss 

150  Nassau  Street 

New  York 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


Pan-American  Road  Congress 


Chairman, 

Governor  Charles  W.  Gates  of  Vermont 


Members    Representing    the 
American  Road  Builders'  Association 

Major  W.  W.  Crosby  of  Maryland 
E.  L.  Powers  of  New  York 


Members   Representing    the 
American  Highway  Association 

James  H.  MacDonald  of  Connecticut 
J.  E.  Pennybacker  of  Washington,  D.  C. 


318S51 


Donor  Members 

ADAMS   &   CO.,   J.    D Indianapolis,  Ind. 

AMERICAN    TAR    CO Boston,  Mass. 

AMERICAN   SHEET   &    TIN   PLATE    CO.  .  Pittsburgh,   Pa. 
ASSO.  AMERICAN  PORTLAND  CEMENT.  Philadelphia,   Pa. 

ATLAS   PORTLAND    CEMENT    CO New   York,   N.   Y. 

AUSTIN  WESTERN  ROAD   MACH'Y   CO..  Chicago,    111. 

BAKER  MFG.    CO.,   A.   D Swanton,  Ohio. 

BAKER   &   CO.,   R.   D Detroit,   Mich. 

BAKER,    JOHN,    JR New  York,   N.   Y. 

BARBER   ASPHALT   PAVING   CO Philadelphia,   Pa. 

BARRETT    MFG.    CO New   York,   N.   Y. 

BAUSCH  &  LOME  OPTICAL  CO Rochester,   N.    Y. 

BESSEMER  LIMESTONE   CO Youngstown,    Ohio. 

BETTER   ROADS    &    STREETS Dayton,    Ohio. 

BITUMINIZED   ROAD    CO Kansas    City,    Mo. 

BUCYRUS    CO S.    Milwaukee,    Wis. 

BUFFALO    STEAM    ROLLER    CO Buffalo,   N.    Y. 

CANTON   CULVERT    &   SILO    CO Canton,  Ohio. 

C.   H.   E.   MFG.   CO Milwaukee,  Wis. 

CHICAGO  PORTLAND  CEMENT  CO Chicago,  111. 

CLEVELAND  STONE  CO Cleveland,  Ohio. 

CLEVELAND    TRINIDAD    PAVING   CO.  .  .  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

CORRUGATED    BAR    CO Buffalo,    N.    Y. 

CRESCENT  PORTLAND  CEMENT  CO Wampum,    Penn. 

CASE  THRESHING  MACHINE  CO.,  J.   I..  Racine,   Wis. 

DAUCH    MFG.     CO Sandusky,    Ohio. 

DUNN  WIRE  CUT  LUG  BRICK  CO Conneaut,   Ohio. 

ENGINEERING  NEWS    New    York,    N.    Y. 

ENGINEERING  RECORD New    York,    N.    Y. 

FRANCE   STONE   CO Toledo,   Ohio. 

GALION  IRON  WORKS  &  MFG.  CO Galion,   Ohio. 

GARFORD   MOTOR   TRUCK   CO Lima,    Ohio. 

GERMAN  AMER.   PORTLAND   CEMENT.. La  Salle,  111. 

GIANT   PORTLAND    CEMENT   CO Philadelphia,   Pa. 

GOOD    ROADS    New  York,   N.   Y. 

GOOD  ROADS  MACHINERY  CO Kennett    Square,    Pa. 

HASTINGS    PAVEMENT    CO .  .  New    York,    N.    Y. 

HEADLEY   GOOD   ROADS  CO Philadelphia,    Pa. 

HUNT    &    CO.,    R.    W Chicago,    111. 

HYDRAULIC   PRESS   BRICK   CO St.  Louis,  Mo. 

INLAND  STEEL  CO Chicago,  111. 

INTER-STATE  STONE   MFRS.  ASSN Columbus,   Ohio. 

JAEGER  MACHINE   CO Columbus,   Ohio. 

JEFFREY  MFG.  CO Columbus,   Ohio. 

KELLY  SPRINGFIELD  MOTOR  TRUCK.  .  Springfield,  Ohio. 
KELLY  SPRINGFIELD  ROAD  ROLLER.  .  Springfield,   Ohio. 

KINNE Y  MFG.   CO Boston,    Mass. 

KOEHRING  MACHINE   CO Milwaukee,    Wis. 

LEHIGH  PORTLAND   CEMENT  CO Chicago,    111. 

LAWRENCE    CEMENT    CO New  York,  N.   Y. 

LINK    BELT    CO Chicago,    111. 

LUTEN,   DANIEL  B Indianapolis,  Ind. 

MARION    STEAM    SHOVEL   CO Marion,    Ohio. 

MARQUETTE  PORTLAND  CEMENT  CO..  Chicago     111 

McAVOY   VITRIFIED    BRICK    CO Philadelphia,   Pa. 

METROPOLITAN  BRICK  CO Canton,  Ohio. 

MUNICIPAL  JOURNAL New   York    N    Y. 

NEW  AETNA  PORTLAND  CEMENT  CO..  Detroit,   Mich. 
NEW  EGYPTIAN  PORTLAND  CEMENT.  .  Detroit,   Mich 

OHIO    MARBLE    CO Piqua,   Ohio. 

OHIO    QUARRIES    CO Cleveland,    Ohio. 

PACKARD  MOTOR  CAR  CO Detroit,   Mich. 

PRUDENTIAL    OIL    CORPORATION New   York,   N.   Y. 

ROAD    MAKER,    THE Moline,   111. 

ROBESON  PROCESS  CO New  York,   N.  Y. 

RUSSELL  GRADER  MFG.   CO Minneapolis,    Minn. 

SIDNEY    STEEL    SCRAPER    CO Sidney,    Ohio. 

SOHIER,   COL.  WM.   D Boston,   Mass. 

STANDARD   OIL   CO.    OF    CHICAGO Chicago,    111. 

STANDARD  OIL  CO.   OF  NEW  YORK New   York,   N.   Y. 

THEW    AUTOMATIC    SHOVEL    CO Lorain    Ohio. 

TIDEWATER  PORTLAND   CEMENT  CO.  .  Baltimore,   Md. 

TRINITY  PORTLAND  CEMENT  CO Dallas,    Texas. 

TRUSSED  CONCRETE  STEEL  CO Detroit,   Mich. 

U.    S.    ASPHALT   REFINING   CO New  York    N.  Y 

U.    S.    WOOD    PRESERVING   CO New  York,  N.  Y. 

UNIVERSAL  PORTLAND   CEMENT  CO.  ..  Chicago,     111. 
VULCANITE  PORTLAND  CEMENT  CO.  ..  Philadelphia,     Pa. 

WADSWORTH  STONE  &  PAVING  CO Pittsburgh,    Pa. 

WARREN    BROTHERS    CO Boston,    Mass. 

WATERLOO  CEMENT  MACHINERY  CO.  .  Waterloo.   Iowa. 
WHITE   MOTOR   TRUCK  CO Cleveland,  Ohio. 

vi 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 


PREFATORY 

It  has  been  deemed  expedient,  in  presenting  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress  the  official  records 
of  its  proceedings,  to  give  an  outline  of  the  work  of  organiz- 
ing the  Congress.  The  record  of  the  various  steps  has 
been  gleaned  from  the  voluminous  minutes  of  the  meetings 
of  the  Executive  Committee,  and  notes  the  salient  features 
involved  in  the  work  of  creating  a  road  congress  covering 
the  highway  interests  of  all  America. 

The  Pan-American  Road  Congress  was  held  at  Oakland, 
California,  September  13,  14,  15,  16  and  17,  1915,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  American  Road  Builders'  Association  and 
the  American  Highway  Association,  acting  jointly. 

A  joint  convention  or  road  congress  had  been  urged  for 
some  years  by  members  of  both  organizations  and  by  others 
interested  in  highway  improvement.  The  receipt  by  each 
association  of  an  invitation  from  the  authorities  of  the 
Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition  to  hold  its  1915 
annual  convention  at  or  near  San  Francisco  seemed  to  offer 
an  opportunity  for  such  co-operation. 

Preliminary  discussion  and  action  resulted  in  the  creation 
of  a  joint  committee  consisting  of  two  members  from  each 
Association.  These  were  authorized  to  select  a  fifth  mem- 
ber, who  should  be  Chairman,  the  five  to  constitute  an 
Executive  Committee  to  organize  and  conduct  the  Pan- 
American  Road  Congress. 

The  Committee  consisted  of  Major  W.  W.  Crosby,  form- 
erly Chief  Engineer  of  the  Maryland  State  Roads  Commis- 
sion, and  E.  L.  Powers,  editor  and  publisher  of  "Good 
Roads,"  representing  the  American  Road  Builders'  Associa- 
tion; and  James  H.  MacDonald,  formerly  State  Highway 
Commissioner  of  Connecticut,  and  J.  E.  Pennybacker,  Chief, 
Division  of  Road  Economics,  United  States  Office  of  Pub- 
lic Roads  and  Rural  Engineering,  representing  the  American 
Highway  Association.  These  met  in  New  York  January  8, 
1915,  and  unanimously  chose  Governor  Charles  W.  Gates 
of  Vermont,  formerly  State  Highway  Commissioner,  as  the 
fifth  member  and  Chairman. 

On-  March  18,  1915,  the  full  Committee  met  at  Montpelier, 
Vermont,  for  organization.  Sub-committees  were  created  as 
follows: 

Arrangements,  Mr.  Pennybacker;  Finance,  Mr.  MacDon- 
ald; Program,  Major  Crosby,  and  Publicity,  Mr.  Powers. 

• 
vii 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

Mr.  MacDonald  was  made  treasurer  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee and  directed  to  solicit  funds.  Disbursements  were 
directed  to  be  made,  in  payment  of  bills  approved  by  one 
of  the  sub-committees  and  the  Chairman  of  the  Executive 
Committee.  He  was  also  authorized  to  employ  Charles  P. 
Light  as  assistant  in  securing  contributions  for  the  Congress 
for  a  period  not  exceeding  three  months. 

Thje  various  sub-committees/  were  directed  to  prepare 
plans  for  their  respective  departments  of  work,  and  sub- 
mit same  to  the  Executive  Committee  at  its  next  meeting. 

The  subsequent  meetings  of  the  Executive  Committee  were 
held  at  frequent  intervals  at  the  office  of  the  American  Road 
Builders'  Association  in  New  York  City,  until  the  final  meet- 
ing before  the  opening  of  the  Congress,  which  was  held 
at  Oakland,  September  12.  During  the  various  meetings 
from  April  to  September,  the  work  was  developed  as  follows: 

It  was  decided  that  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress 
should  be  held  at  Oakland,  California,  September  13  to  17 
inclusive.  A  tender  of  Exhibition  Hall  and  other  rooms 
in  the  Municipal  Auditorium  by  the  city  of  Oakland  was 
accepted,  as  was  also  the  offer  to  supply  the  badges  for  the 
use  of  the  delegates,  members,  and  visitors. 

The  program  was  arranged  to  consist  of  ten  sessions,  two 
each  day,  from  Monday  morning  to  Friday  afternoon  in- 
clusive. Twenty-seven  stated  subjects  constituting  a  logical 
sequence  of  the  various  factors  involved  in  road  and  street 
administration,  construction  and  maintenance  were  desig- 
nated, and  men  prominent  in  the  especial  branches  were  in- 
vited to  prepare  papers,  and  others,  also  prominent  in  high- 
way work,  were  invited  to  lead  in  the  discussions  of  the 
papers  presented.  The  persons  selected  for  the  preparation 
of  these  papers  and  discussions  were  communicated  with 
by  the  Committee  on  Program,  and  acceptances  reported  to 
the  Committee  on  Publicity. 

On  invitation,  and  by  arrangement  with  the-  Exposition 
management  Wednesday,  September  15,  was  designated  as 
Pan-American  Road  Congress  Day  at  the  Panama  Pacific 
International  Exposition,  and  the  afternoon  session  was  held 
at  Festival  Hall  on  the  Exposition  grounds. 

Charles  F.  Stern,  a  member  of  the  California  -Highway 
Commission,  was  appointed  representative  of  the  Executive 
Committee  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  Local  representatives  of 
the  Executive  Committee  were  appointed  in  different  sec- 
tions of  the  country  to  act  under  the  direction  of  the  Com- 
mittees on  Arrangements  and  Publicity  in  carrying  out 
the  work. 

A  special  committee  on  invitations  was  elected,  consist- 
ing of  Governor  Gates,  Mr.  Pennybacker  and  Mr.  Powers. 
This  Committee,  under  the  authority  conferred  upon  it,  pre- 

viii 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

pared  invitations  to  appoint  delegates  and  forwarded  same 
to  the  executive  officials  of  the  Canadian  government;  the 
Canadian  provinces;  the  Central  and  South  American  govern- 
ments; the  states  of  the  Union,  and  the  Permanent  Interna- 
tional Association  of  Road  Congresses.  Later  invitations  to 
attend  the  Congress  were  sent  to  all  highway  officials  in 
the  states  of  Arizona,  Colorado,  California,  Idaho,  Montana, 
Nevada,  New  Mexico,  Oregon,  Utah,  Washington  and 
Wyoming;  and  to  all  state  and  county  highway  officials  in 
all  other  states  of  the  Union.  Also  to  the  highway  officials 
of  all  municipalities  of  5,000  or  more  population,  and  to  a 
number  of  other  municipalities  and  organizations  selected 
by  the  special  committee. 

Memberships  were  divided  into  two  classes;  those  of 
Donor  Members  and  Temporary  Members.  Donor  Members 
were  those  who  contributed  not  less  than  $50  to  the  funds 
of  the  Congress.  Donor  Members  were  entitled  to  have 
their  names  listed  in  the  final  program;  were  permitted  to 
designate  one  Temporary  Member  for  each  $10  subscribed; 
and  the  Donor  Member  and  Temporary  Members  designated 
by  him  should  have  full  rights  of  participation  in  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Congress,  and  receive  a  copy  of  the'  official 
report  when  printed  at  the  close  of  the  Congress.  Tem- 
porary Members  other  than  those  designated  by  Donor 
Members  were  to  pay  a  fee  of  $2,  and  be  entitled  to  all 
rights  and  privileges  of  participation  in  the  Congress,  includ- 
ing the  official  report  of  the  proceedings.  Members  of  the 
American  Road  Builders'  Association  and  of  the  American 
Highway  Association  in  good  standing  as  of  June  1,  1915, 
were  entitled  to  the  same  privileges  as  Temporary  Members, 
without  further  cost,  including  a  copy  of  the  official  report 
of  the  proceedings. 

Arrangements  for  participation  in  the  Congress  were  made 
with  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads  Association,  of  California, 
Oregon  and  Washington,  and  with  the  Pacific  Highway  Asso- 
ciation, which  is  promoting  a  highway  along  the  Pacific 
Coast  from  the  northern  to  the  southern  international  lines. 
Thursday,  September  16,  was  designated  "Pacific  Highway 
Day." 

Provision  was  made  for  a  special  Pan-American  Road 
Congress  train,  under  the  direction  of  the  Committee  on 
Arrangements.  The  itinerary  of  the  special  train  is  given 
elsewhere. 

Fifty  thousand  copies  were  printed  of  a  preliminary  pro- 
gram. These  were  distributed  to  Donor  Members,  manu- 
facturers and  others  especially  interested,  »and  to  others 
where  it  was  considered  that  they  would  be  advantageous. 

Advance  papers  and  discussions  which  had  been  received 
by  the  Committee  on  Program  were  put  in  type,  and  proofs 

ix  • 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

furnished  to  such  of  the  technical  press  as  had  become  Donor 
Members  of  the  Congress,  with  release  for  publication  on 
the  date  of  their  presentation  at  the  Congress. 

Special  press  matter  was  sent  weekly  to  over  2,000  daily 
newspapers  throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada,  and 
to  the  leading  trade  and  agricultural  publications,  the  first 
installment  being  accompanied  by  a  personal  letter  to  the 
editor.  Articles  for  publication  were  also  sent  to  several 
thousand  leading  weekly  newspapers  throughout  the  country. 

The  final  meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee  previous 
to  the  Congress  was  held  at  Oakland,  California.  The 
Hotel  Oakland  had  been  secured  as  headquarters  for  the 
Committee,  and  the  meeting  was  held  on  the  arrival  of  the 
special  Pan-American  Road  Congress  train  September  12. 
Governor  Gates,  Chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee,  who 
was  with  the  special  train,  had  just  received  word  of  the 
death  of  his  mother,  and  after  appointing  Mr.  MacDonald 
to  act  in  his  place  as  Chairman  of  the  Congress,  left  for 
Vermont. 

At  this  meeting,  arrangements  were  completed  for  holding 
a  banquet  in  honor  of  the  local  authorities  and  invited  guests, 
Tuesday  evening,  September  14,  at  the  Hotel  Oakland. 
Other  details  for  the  opening  of  the  Congress  were  con- 
cluded. 

Monday,  September  13,  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress 
was  formally  opened  by  Acting  President  MacDonald  and 
the  program  presented  as  given  in  the  succeeding  pages. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  New  York  November  27  the  reports 
of  the  various  committees  were  received.  The  Committee 
on  Program  was  discharged,  its  work  having  been  completed. 
Reports  of  the  committees  on  Publicity  and  Finance  were 
approved  to  date;  final  reports  to  be  furnished  after  the 
publication  and  distribution  of  the  Official  Proceedings  ot 
the  Congress,  and  the  settlement  of  accounts. 

At  this  meeting  the  following  resolutions  were  unani- 
mously adopted: 

RESOLVED,  That  after  examination  of  the  correspond- 
ence of  the  Treasurer  of  this  Committee  we  do  not  consider 
that  in  his  solicitation  of  contributions  toward  the  Pan- 
American  Road  Congress  he  has  exceeded  his  instructions 
or  in  any  way  bound  either  the  American  Road  Builders' 
Association  or  the  American  Highway  Association  not  to 
hold  a  convention  after  January,  1916;  and  be  it  further 

RESOLVED,  That  we  do  not  consider,  in  view  of  the 
facts  mentioned,  and  others  incidental  thereto,  that  this 
Committee  has  in  any  way  bound  either  the  American  Road 
Builders'  Association  or  the  American  Highway  Association 
not  to  hold  one  or  more  conventions  after  January  1,  1916, 
though  we  do  consider  each  association  bound  in  good  faith 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

not  to  hold  or  as  an  association  to  participate  in  any  con- 
vention during  the  calendar  year  1915. 


THE  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  TRAIN 

The  special  train  carrying  members  and  delegates  and  their 
friends  left  Chicago  at  6:45  p.  m.  September  2,  and  arrived 
at  Oakland,  Cal.,  at  6:20  a.  m.  September  12.  The  route 
was  over  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway  to  St.  Paul, 
Minn.;  over  the  "Soo"  line  to  the  International  boundary; 
over  the  Canadian  Pacific  to  Vancouver;  by  steamer  to 
Seattle;  over  the  Northern  Pacific  to  Portland,  and  over 
the  Southern  Pacific  to  Oakland. 

The  first  stop  for  entertainment  and  inspection  of  places 
of  interest  was  at  Banff  on  September  5,  where  the  members 
of  the  party  were  taken  in  tally-ho  coaches  to  Tunnell  Moun- 
tain and  to  Buffalo  Park.  The  following  day  the  party 
visited  Lake  Louise  and  the  Glacier  from  which  it  is  fed. 

On  the  trip  from  Vancouver  to  Seattle  through  Puget 
Sound  on  the  Princess  Steamers  of  the  Canadian  Pacific 
line,  a  stop  of  two  hours  was  made  at  Victoria,  and  a  motor 
trip  made  over  the  improved  roads-  of  the  immediately  sur- 
rounding country.  A  similar  trip  was  made  over  the  roads 
in  the  vicinity  of  Seattle. 

At  Portland,  Oregon,  the  party  was  taken  in  automobiles 
for  a  considerable  distance  up  the  Columbia  River,  over  the 
recently  completed  Columbia  Highway,  an  excellent  ex- 
ample of  expensive  and  difficult  construction.  At  Crown 
Point  the  party  lunched  at  Crown  Point  Inn,  as  guests  of 
Samuel  Hill,  who  personally  arranged  and  conducted  the 
inspection  trip  over  the  road. 

Governor  Charles  W.  Gates,  Chairman,  and  James  H. 
MacDonald,  were  the  two  members  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee of  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress  on  the  special 
train. 


PAX- AMERICAN   ROAD    CONGRESS 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Title     iii 

Executive   Committee   Pan-Amercan   Road   Congress v 

Donor  Members    .- "Vi 

Prefatory    vii 

Good   Roads    Train xi 

Contents     xiii 

PROCEEDINGS 

Opening-  of  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress  by  Major 
W.  W.  Crosby  and  Introduction  of  James  H.  Mac- 
Donald  as  Acting  Chairman 1 

Address    by   Chairman   MacDonald 1 

Appointment  of  Committee  on  Credentials $• 

Address  of  Welcome  on  Behalf  of  the  State  of  California 
-   by    Senator   John    W.    Stetson    (representing    Gov- 
ernor Johnson)  5 

Address  of  Welcome  on  Behalf  of  the  State  of  Washing- 
ton by  A.  E.  Meath  (representing  Governor 

Lister) 7 

Address  by  Frank  Terrace 7 

Address    on    Behalf    of    the    Panama    Pacific    International 

Exposition,  by  H.  K.   Bassett 11 

Address  on  Behalf  of  the  American  Road  Builders'  Asso- 
ciation, by  President  George  W.  Tillson 13 

Address  on  Behalf  of  the  American  Highway  Association, 
by  Chas.   P.   Light    (representing  President   Fair- 
fax   Harrison) 18 

Announcement   Committee   on   Resolutions 21 

Address   by  Mr.   Egilbert 21 

FIRST    SESSION — Dr.    J.    H.    Pratt,    presiding 

Paper. — The  History  and  Future  of  Highway  Develop- 
ment, by  Logan  W.  Page 23 

Discussion  by  Chairman    Pratt    28 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Kenyon    29 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Roy    29 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Reed    30 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Gash    30 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Cobb    31 

Paper. — The  Relation  of  the  Road  to  Rail  and  Water 

Transportation,  by  C.  J.  Tilden 31 

Paper. — The  Benefits  and  Burdens  of  Better  Roads,  by 

S.    E.    Bradt 33 

Paper. — Road    Building    in    the    National    Forests,    by 

Henry   S.   Graves 43 

Paper. — The   Essentials   of  Proper  Laws   for  Highway 

Work,   by  Col.   E.   A.   Stevens 51 

Discussion   opened   by  A.   N.   Johnson 57 

Paper. — Federal  Aid  in  Rural  Districts,  by  C.  L.  Mac- 
kenzie       61 

Discussion  opened  by  Mr.  Kenyon 74 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Meeker 80 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Carlton     82 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Cobb    »  .  .  83 

Discussion  by  Judge  Albert    84 

Monday    evening   smoker 85 

SECOND  SESSION — George  W.  Tillson  Presiding -86 

Paper. — Road    Location;    Its    Importance    and    Effects, 

by  William  R.  Roy 86 

Discussion    opened    by   Henry   L.    Bowlby .93 

Discussion  by  Dr.  Pratt   '. 97 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Williams    98 

Discussion   by  Mr.   Cantine 99 

Paper. — Road   Drainage   and   Foundations,    by    George 

W.  Cooley 100 

Discussion  opened  by  Frank  K.  Duncan 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Winn 

Discussion  by  Mr.    Cantine    106 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Williams    106 

xiii 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD    CONGRESS 

Paper. — Highway    Bridges    and    Structures,    by    W.    S. 

Gearhart   107 

Discussion  opened  by  Clifford  Older no 

Discussion  by  Mr.   White 117 

Discussion   by  Judge  Albert 118 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Roy     118 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Kennedy    120 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Williams    120 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Nichols 121 

THIRD  SESSION — Captain  Walter  Coggeshall  presiding..  121 
Paper. — Highway     Indebtedness;     Its     Limitation     and 

Regulation,   by  Nelson  P.  Lewis 122 

Discussion    opened    by    W.    I.    Vawter 127 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Witt    131 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Whitney    133,  144 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Eddy 133,  141,  143,  144 

Discussion  by  Judge  Albert 135,   141,  144 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Meath     137,  144 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Williams     139,  143 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Kenyon     140 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Terrace   141,  151 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Cobb     145,  149 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Mackenzie 145,  148,  149 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Suggs    148 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Roy    150 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Carlton     150 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Meeker     152 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Jewkes 152 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Farley     153 

Discusison  by  Mr.  Butler      154,  156 

Invitation  from  U.  S.  Steel  Products  Co 156 

Judge  J.  H.  Albert  presiding 157 

Paper. — Organization   and   System    in   Highway   Work, 

by  A.  B.   Fletcher   (read  *by  Mr.   Sharpies) 157 

Paper. — The    Educational    Field    for    State    Highway 

Departments,   by  Prof.   S.   S.    Smith 161 

Discussion    opened    by    A.    D.    Williams 166 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Eddy   169 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Suggs    169 

Tuesday  evening  smoker 174 

FOURTH   SESSION — A.    D.    Gash   presiding 174,  176 

Paper. — Roadway   Surfaces,   by   Frank  F.   Rogers 176 

Discussion  opened  by  E.  R.  Morgan 183 

Discussion  by  W.  C.  Hammatt 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Roy   

Discussion  by  Mr.   Carleton 187 

Discussion  by  Dr.  Pratt 1»» 

Dimension  h-  Mr.  Morton    188,  189 

Discussion   by  Mr.   Loder 189 

Paper. — Resurfacing  Old  Roads,  by  William  D.  Uhler.  .  191 

Discussion  opened  by  J.   C.   Travilla 198 

Discussion   by   J.    C.    Little 2 

Paper. — Street   Pavements,   by   Curtis  Hill 205 

Discussion  opened  by  J.   M.   Owens 209 

FIFTH  SESSION — (Festival  Hall,  Panama-Pacific  Interna- 
tional     Exposition) — James     H.     MacDonald     pre- 

siding     Z±Z 

Director   Brown's   address «i? 

President  Tillson's  response £fi 

Mr.  Gash's  response %%% 

Mr.    Mackenzie's    response %™ 

Mr.  Hill's  response ^8 

Mr.  Mackenzie  presiding. 

Paper. — System    in    Highway    Accounting,    by    b.     L>.  ^ 

Discussion  'by*  Judge'  Albert.'.'.'.'.'.'.  .  .  . .  •  .252, 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Jewkes    252,    ^5b,  ^o» 

Discussion   by  Mr.   Loder *°* 

Discussion  by  Mr.  MacDonald    *•?* 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Cobb %™ 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Terrace    *£ ' 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Lyman    £22 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Eddy •  •  •  •  •  •  •  40° 

Paper.— Uniformity  for  Highway  Statistics  and  Data,  ^ 

Paper. — Engineering 'Supervision 'for  Highway   Work, 

by   Prevost  Hubbard • 261 

Discussion  opened  by  Lamar  Cobb *°° 

Invitation  to  Liberal  Arts  Palace • 

xiv 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD   CONGRESS 

SIXTH  SESSION— (Pacific  Highway  Day)— James  H.  Mac- 
Donald  presiding- 

Address  by  Samuel  Hill 272 


Donald  presiding 270 

jss  by  Samuel  Hill. 
Paper. — The    Determination    of   the   Justifiable   Outlay 


for    Specific    Cases    of    Highway    Improvement,    by 

Clifford  Richardson   (read  by  Mr.  Hill) 275 

Discussion  opened  by  H.  W.  Durham 295 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Kenyon     299 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Terrace    299 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Gash    300 

Paper. — How   to   Take   the   Roads   Out   of   Politics,    by 

Richard  Henry  Dana 279 

Discussion    opened    by    Dr.    Pratt 290 

Paper. — Convict  Labor   for   Highway   Work,    by   G.   P. 

Coleman    300 

Discussion  opened  by  J.  E.  Maloney 306 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Twitchell 312 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Williams    316 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Eddy 317 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Gash .  318 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Kenyon    319 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Terace 319 

Invitation    from   Boston    Chamber    of   Commerce 321 

Invitation   from   Mayor   of   Boston 322 

Report  Committee  on  Resolutions,  by  George  W.  Till- 

son,  Chairman 322 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Gash 323,  326,  327,  336 

Discussion  by   Mr.   Hill 326,  327 

Discussion  by'  Judge   Albert 329 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Rogers    329 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Johnson   329 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Cobb     ..330,    331,  338 

Discussion   by  Mr.   Terrace 330 

Discussion  by  Capt.  Coggeshall 332 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Suggs    333 

Discussion  by  Mr.  MacDonald    334 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Wilson    336 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Kenyon 337 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Jewkes 338 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Williams 339 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Stern   340 

Discussion  by  Dr.   Pratt   344 

Discussion  General     342,    343,    344,  345 

SEVENTH  SESSION — John  A.  Wilson  presiding 345 

Address  by  Chairman  John  A.  Wilson 346 

Paper. — Motor    Traffic;    Its    Development,    Trend    and 

Effects,  by  A.  W.  Gould 351 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Kenyon 354 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Reed    359 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Butler 360 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Mehren 362 

Paper. — Equipment     for     Highway     Wprk,     by     A.     H. 

Blanchard 363 

Address  and  Exhibition   by  Samuel  Hill 369 

Lawn  Fete   and   Dance 370 

EIGHTH  SESSION— Col.  W.  D.  Sohier  presiding..  371 

Address   by   Chairman   Sohier 371 

Paper. — Comparisons    of    Traffic    and    Their    Economic 

Value,  by  Linn  White 387 

Discussion  by  H.   K.   Bishop    390 

Discussion  by  Mr.  White    380 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Whitney 380 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Howe 381,  382 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Roy    382 

^         Discussion  by  Mr.  Reed 382,  385 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Cobb     384,    385,  386 

Discussion  by  Mr.   Corlew    385 

Discussion  by  Mr.  Jewkes 386 

Paper. — Maintenance:  Materials  and  Methods,  by  A.  W. 

Dean     393 

Paper. — Dust  Suppression  and  Street  Cleaning,  by  W. 

H.   Connell    f 398 

Remarks   by   Dr.   Alfonso   Quinonez 412 

Remarks    by    Fernando    Cruz 414 

Leave   to   print 413 

Invitation  from  New  Orleans 414 

Closing  remarks  by  Mr.  MacDonald 415 

Adjournment   sine  .die 416 

Auto   ride 416 


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Proceedings 

of  the 

Pan-American   Road   Congress 

OPENING  SESSION. 
Monday,   September   13,   1915 


The  Pan-American  Road  Congress,  held  at  Oakland,  Cali- 
fornia, September  13-17,  1915,  was  called  to  order  by  Major 
W.  W.  Crosby,  of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  Monday  morning, 
September  13,  at  11  o'clock. 

MAJOR  CROSBY:  As  chairman  of  the  Program  com- 
mittee I  take  pleasure  in  presenting  as  the  presiding  officer 
of  the  Congress  Mr.  James  H.  MacDonald. 

(James  H.  MacDonald  then  took  the  Chair.) 

CHAIRMAN  MACDONALD:  It  is  my  very  unpleasant 
duty  to  say  to  the  delegates  assembled  that  Governor  Gates, 
who  was  to  preside  over  the  deliberations  of  this  congress 
and  open  it  with  an  address,  has  been  suddenly  called  home 
owing  to  the  death  of  his  mother.  It  is  a  great  misfor- 
tune for  us  to  be  denied  the  pleasure  and  the  profit  that 
would  accrue  to  this  congress  and  its  deliberations  by  his 
presence.  I  know  that  the  governor  had  planned  to  have 
a  very,  very  enjoyable  time,  and  the  executive  committee 
was  very  fortunate  in  the  selection  of  Governor  Gates  to  be 
a  member  of  its  committee  and  to  preside  over  its  delibera- 
tions as  chairman,  owing  to  the  fact  that  for  ten  consecutive 
years  he  had  served  his  state  acceptably,  inaugurated  and 
carried  on  successfully  the  administration  under  his  highway 
commissionership.  He  occupied  the  unique  position  never 
accorded  to  any  other  commissioner  in  this  country  of  hav- 
ing been  selected  as  the  chief  executive  of  the  state  over 
which  he  had  served  as  highway  commissioner  during  the 
ten  years  prior  to  his  induction  in  office.  When  the  governor 
asked  me  to  take  his  .place  he  said: 

"Now,  Commissioner,  I  wish  I  could  b£  there.  I  shall 
simpty  come  to  the  door  and  knock,  see  that  arrangements 
have  been  properly  made  and  the  plans  of  the  committee 
successfully  started,  and  then  I  shall  go  home  to  perform 
the  sad  office — the  saddest  that  ever  can  come  to  a  son. 

"I  wished  to  say  to  this  congress  that  there  may  be  sub- 
jects discussed  in  which  you  can  find  no  concert  on  your 
part  to  join  in,  but  that  I  want  every  delegate  here  to  feel 
that  whether  the  subject  matter  discussed  is  that  which 
would  be  best  for  Jiis  state  or  not,  whether  the  subjects  are 
too  elemental  in  their  discussion  or  in  their  scope,  that  you 


2  ,*     X,     PAN-AMERICAN\ROAD  CONGRESS 

are  all  free  in  this  'congre'ss  to  ask  anything  that  may  occur 
to  you;  to  discuss  this  great  question  broadly,  and  from  the 
standpoint  of  every  political  or  geographical  condition  that 
the  particular  district  or  state  or  city  that  you  represent 
may  have  to  contend  with.  If  you  feel  that  you  should  match 
>our  improvements  dollar  for  dollar  with  that  which  you 
arrange  for;  if  you  believe  in  a  gravel  road  system;  a  water- 
bound  macadam  system;  a  plain  piece  of  grading;  the  laying 
of  a  foundation;  the  introduction  of  drainage;  leaving  aside 
the  question  of  service,  discuss  that,  and  we  will  be  glad  to 
hear  you." 

In  other  words,  Governor  Gates  had  won  his  spurs  in  the 
state  of  Vermont  and  he  felt  that  even  though  they  were  get- 
ting an  appropriation  from  the  legislature  it  was  not  quite 
up  to  the  standard  it  should  be.  So  naturally  this  would 
have  been  the  doctrine  he  would  have  introduced  had  he 
been  here. 

With  this  little  thought  advanced  from  Governor  Gates 
nll°w  me  to  say  in  behalf  ot  the  executive  committee  that  has 
had  charge  of  this  gathering  together  of  you  delegates,  that 
this  is  another  epoch  in  the  history  of  road  making;  in'  which 
these  two  great  associations  are  joined,  that  comprise  in 
their  memberships  the  greatest  aggregation  of  road  build- 
ers, not  only  that  this  country  has  ever  known,  but  any  coun- 
try in  the  world  (applause),  embracing  every  highway  com- 
missioner in  the  United  States,  men  who  have  had  to  deal 
with  this  question  from  its  inception,  from  the  days  in  which 
King  Mud  held  thraldom  over  the  whole  United  States,  over 
the  sum  of  2,500,000  miles  of  road. 

Today,  after  an  existence  of  only  twelve  years  since  the 
birth  of  one  of  the  organizations,  we  find  that  nearly  forty 
states  have  entered  upon  highway  construction,  and  that 
where  millions  and  millions  of  dollars  had  previously  been 
expended  all  over  the  United  States  foolishly,  wastefully  and 
extravagantly,  today  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  millions  of  dollars  are  being  wisely  and  eco- 
nomically expended  under  the  administration  of  these  gentle- 
men, and  the  only  degree  of  permanency  that  has  ever  been 
known  in  the  ro*ad  history  of  the  United  States  has  been 
that  which  has  been  established  since  the  inception  of  these 
gentlemen  as  highway  commissioners  or  in  control  of  high- 
way districts  of  their  several  domains.  (Applause.) 

When  the  Associated  Press  in  its  wide  scope,  in  its  ability 
to  gather  news  from  all  points  of  the  country,  dignifies  an 
item  sufficiently  to  send  it  broadcast  throughout  the  land 
through  all  the  newspapers,  these  great  vehicles  of  thought 
and  information  that  find  their  lodgement  in  the  firesides  of 
all  our  people,  it  is  worthy  of  notice.  It  was  only  last  year 
that  they  sent  out  an  item  that  in  one  of  your  western  towns 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  3 

they  had  dug  up  a  street  and  had  found  on  analysis  that 
six  dollars  and  fifty  cents'  worth  of  gold  could  be  secured 
out  of  a  ton  of  the  dirt.  Ah,  but  if  that  had  -been  reduced 
to  a  mathematical  calculation  of  all  the  millions  and  millions 
of  tons  of  which  no  notice  has  been  taken  that  had  been 
shifted  from  the  gutter  to  the  center  of  the  road  and  had 
taken  the  taxpayers'  hard  earnings  only  to  be  washed  away 
in  the  village  sluice,  what  an  item  that  would  have  made? 
And  when  those  Forty-Niners  came  over  here  looking  for 
gold,  some  to  go  back  enriched  and  some  to  go  back  dis- 
appointed, that  is  another  item;  but  I  want  to  tell  you  that 
it  has  no  place  in  the  history  of  the  country  like  the  gather- 
ing together  of  these  pioneers  today  in  this  great  movement 
of  highway  reform,  in  its  influence,  not  alone  for  the  few 
that  came  across  the  continent  the  first  time,  but  for  the 
people  for  all  time  in  the  making,  in  the  building  up,  in 
increasing  the  population  and  wealth  of  the  entire  country. 

We  had  a  very  pleasant  visit  as  we  came  along  through 
the  Canadian  Rockies  and  down  through  Vancouver  and 
Victoria  into  Seattle — that  little  company  that  came  in  a 
special  car  to  this  congress.  We  were  delightfully  enter- 
tained in  the  states  of  Washington  and  Oregon,  and  then 
when  we  got  here  we  received  on  every  hand  a  hearty  wel- 
come. 

We  have  seen  your  beautiful  roads  and  we  have  seen 
many  features  which  have  not  transpired  in  the  history  of 
any  eastern  commissioner  during  his  term  of  office,  both  in 
that  celebrated  and  splendid  Columbia  road  that  we  went 
over  and  the  splendid  improvements  that  are  being  made  in 
the  Siskiyou  Pass. 

It  is  a  great  privilege  that  we  enjoy,  gentlemen,  in  coming 
here  to  take  you  by  the  hand  and  extend  a  greeting  from 
all  parts  of  the  country,  commingle  in  thought  with  your- 
selves with  the  lively  hope  that  from  this  little  meeting  may 
come  to  us  all  some  benefit.  We  do  not  come  here  as 
teachers.  We  come  here  as  students.  We  come  to  learn 
from  you  and  for  you  to  learn  from  us,  and  all  I  have  to 
-  say  is,  God  bless  the  deliberations  of  this  congress  in  all 
that  it  has  to  do  with  this  great  question.  (Applause.) 

With  your  permission  I  will  appoint  the  committee  on 
credentials,  and  the  members  can  repair  to  the  lobby  and 
get  the  names  of  those  who.  are  registered  and  report  at  a 
later  session  of  the  congress.  I  will  ask  Mr.  E.  L.  Powers 
to  read  the  names  of  the  committee. 

MR.  POWERS:  J.  E.  Pennybacker,  chairman;  Herbert 
Spencer,  George  W.  Cooley,  C.  S.  Luck,  Frank  Terrace,  C 
D.  Knight,  J.  H.  McClintock,  A.  J.  Hill,  of  Portland,  Oregon; 
A.  A.  Hall,  of  Ohio;  J.  H.  Pratt,  W.  R.  Roy  and  W.  T. 
Dust. 


>4  PAN- AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

...CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  I  am  very  happy  to  an- 
nounce that  Mr.  J.  E.  Pennybaeker,  who  has  had  charge  of 
the  committee  on  arrangements  reports  to  me  that  the  Tri- 
State  Association  have  very  considerately  and  very  kindly 
agreed  to  adjourn  their  convention,  which  is  being  held  in 
San  Francisco,  and  come  over  here  and  participate  in  our 
sessions.  I  know  you  will  all  be  glad  to  learn  that. 

Governor  Johnson  has  been  detained,  but  we  have  a 
splendid  representative  in  Senator  John  W.  Stetson,  whom 
it  is  my  great  pleasure  to  introduce  to  this  convention. 
(Applause.) 

Address  of  Welcome  on  Behalf  of  the  State  of  California 
By  SENATOR  JOHN  W.  STETSON 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Members  of  the  Pan-American  Road 
Congress:  I  have  no  doubt  that  Governor  Johnson  would, 
if  it  were  at  all  possible  in  accordance  with  the  manifold 
duties  that  are  resting  upon  him  at  the  present  time,  like  to 
be  here.  He  is  an  enthusiastic  supporter  of  every  movement 
that  tends  to  the  facility  of  our  highway  traffic,  and  is  now, 
among  other  things  throughout  the  state,  supporting  the 
bond  issue  which  will  nearly  double  the  -present  available 
funds  for  the  construction  of  permanent  state  highways  in 
California.  The  election  is  to  be  on  the  twenty-sixth  of 
next  month.  It  may  be  for  a  particularly  selfish  reason  to 
California  that  we  give  to  this  congress  the  heartiest  of  wel- 
comes, because  it  so  appropriately  comes  here  with  its  mes- 
sage and  work  concerning  highway  construction  at  a  time 
when  we  want  the  public  mind  to  have  its  attention  called 
to  what  it  is  doing.  That  is  one  reason  why  so  hearty  a 
welcome  can  be  extended  to  you;  and  the  other  one,  and 
we  trust  you  will  think  it  is  no  less  sincere,  is  the  reason 
that  California  is  able  to  offer  you,  especially  as  experts  in 
good  roads  at  this  time,  a  consideration,  and  under  very 
pleasant  circumstances  we  think,  of  manifold  problems  which 
perhaps  more  than  any  other  state  in  the  Union  will  include 
all  the  various  problems  that  you  gentlemen  from  the  differ- 
ent states  have  to  deal  with,  especially  in  your  own  locali- 
ties. Of  course  in  California  there  is  not  the  question  of 
swamp  construction  and  preliminary  drainage  necessary  to 
the  construction  of  roads,  at  least  not  in  any  great  amount; 
and  in  California  we  do,  perhaps,  have  to  deal  especially  with 
the  problem  of  the  long  dry  season,  which  is  of  course  a 
necessary  consideration  in  the  construction  of  certain  kinds  of 
highways  which  it  is  desired  to  have  made  permanent. 

The  history  of  good  roads  and  road  agitation  in  California 
is  very  recent.  The  first  time  the  state  ever  took  the  matter 
into  its  hands  was  when  the  people  in  1909  voted  a  bond 
issue  of  $18,000,000.  And  they  voted  it  very  readily  without 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  5 

understanding  what  was  being  aimed  at  or  what  the  result 
would  appear  to  be  when  it  was  accomplished,  and  indeed 
without  providing  any  method  for  the  maintenance  of  such 
highways  once  they  were  constructed.  But  it  was  the  begin- 
ning, and  a  beginning  even  ill-advised  is  better  than  sitting 
still  and  doing  nothing  in  governmental  matters  as  well  as 
in  our  private  concerns.  So  when  that  eighteen  million 
dollars  was  voted  under  a  direction  that  it  be  applied  to  a 
chain  of  roads  connecting  the  various  country  seats  it  was 
discovered  that  the  political  exigencies  which  made  it  neces- 
sary to  plan  the  vote  that  way  nevertheless  provided  for  a 
system  of  roads  many  of  which  were  not  immediately  impor- 
tant from  the  point  of  view  of  traffic  as  others  which  were 
left  unprovided  for.  There  is  a  secondary  issue  that  is  to 
be  voted  on  next  month  that  will  provide,  it  is  hoped,  the 
money  to  supplement  construction  necessary  over  at  least 
the  greater  arteries  of  California  road  districts. 

Fortunately  the  great  development  of  the  use  of  automo- 
biles provided  the  methods  whereby  taxation  could  be  laid 
upon  willing  shoulders  to  produce  money  which  in  large 
part  will  suffice  to  maintain  the  roads  which  are  being 
constructed  under  the  eighteen  million  dollar  bond  issue. 
It  is  one  of  our  western  boasts,  you  may  hear  it  from  others 
before  you  get  away  from  here,  that  California  stands  sec- 
ond in  the  number  of  registered  automobiles  in  any  and  all 
of  the  states  of  the  United  States.  The  importance  of  the 
problems  that  you  are  to  consider  is  perhaps  realized  by 
you  and  by  those  acting  with  you  in  the  support  of  road 
building.  They  are  not  perhaps  understood  and  appreciated 
generally  by  the  public,  although  that  condition  is  rapidly 
changing.  Economically  the  existence  of  good  roads  has 
an  importance  it  is  difficult  to  overrate.  The  problems  of 
political  economists  are  said  to  have  enhanced  many  fold 
in  recent  years  in  these  United  States  of  America  by  the  con- 
gestion of  population,  by  the  necessity  of  framing  laws  which 
will  provide  for  a  condition  where  elbow  room  is  cramped. 
The  question  of  good  roads  is  a  natural  and  feasible  and 
permanent  giving  of  more  room  in  the  same  locality  to  a 
population.  It  enlarges  the  boundaries  of  cities,  which,  after 
all,  are  not  measured  by  distances,  but  measured  by  time. 

One  of  the  things  that  our  early  pioneer  fathers  in  Cali- 
fornia did  with  reference  to  roads  was  to  have  just  one 
rule,  and  that  was  that  a  good  road  was  the  shortest  dis- 
tance between  two  points.  It  turned  out  very  often  that  a 
good  road  was  -the  steepest  distance  between  two  points, 
and  the  trouble  in  all  of  our  mountain  districts  of  Califor- 
nia is,  notwithstanding  the  existence  of  our  great  valleys 
that  include  by  far  the  larger  portion  of  the  state,  we 
have  been  beset  by  roads  that  have  been  regarded  by  impar- 


€  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

tial  observers  as  being  the  steepest  roads  in  the  world.  Con- 
struction nowdays,  however,  recognizes  the  fact  that  the 
longest  way  round  is  often  the  shortest  way  home,  and  we 
are  finally  getting  some  better  grades.  Some  grades  are 
being  built  upon  the  idea  that  has  long  existed  in  the 
railroad  world,  and  which  are  particularly  suitable  to  the 
automobile.  Even  a  man  with  a  single  cylinder  motor  is 
finding  that  a  good  grade  gets  him  to  his  destination  the 
quickest  in  many  instances,  to  say  nothing  of  the  safety 
and  comfort  which  he  derives  from  it. 

That  brings  me  to  a  consideration  of  the  other  economic 
result  that  is  flowing  from  the  agitation  for  good  roads. 
That  is,  the  proposition  that  it  is  a  direct  and  decided  saving 
from  the  point  of  view  of  maintenance  and  expenditure, 
maintenance  of  the  running  gear  of  all  vehicles,  and  in  the 
expenditure  that  has  been  made  for  freight  and  passenger 
traffic;  and  it  is  going  in  the  end  to  profoundly  affect  the 
problem  that  confronts  the  railroad  man.  It  has  already  pro- 
foundly affected  the  men  in  the  city  who  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  dealing  with  the  congestion  of  population,  because 
they  were  left  in  town  and  restricted  there  by  the  condition 
•of  the  roads. 

In  a  word,  it  is  making  for  a  freer  and  fuller  life  of  all  the 
people.  It  affects  everybody.  It  affects  them  financially, 
it  affects  them  socially,  and  you  gentlemen  can  engage  in 
your  deliberations  with  the  full  knowledge  that  you  are 
engaged  in  a  work  which  is  of  importance  to  everybody, 
which  is  of  great  and  growing  importance,  and  that,  much 
as  has  been  done  already,  you  are  the  pioneers  in  a  move- 
ment which  will  not  meet  its  fruition  for  fifty  years  in  the 
United  States  of  America.  When  it  does  this  country  will 
be  a  different  place  to  live  in.  Everything  that  has  been 
done  will  be  in  the  direction  of  the  uplift  of  the  economic 
and  moral  life  of  the  people.  These  are  some  of  the  rea- 
sons that  impel  us  in  California,  officially  charged  with  the 
duty  of  welcoming  you  here,  to  say  that  that  welcome  is 
heartfelt  and  not  provincial,  and  we  trust  that  when  you  have 
finished  the  labors  which  you  have  met  together  to  perform 
that  you  will  feel  that  you  have  had  the  sympathy  and  cor- 
dial good  will  of  all  the  people  here  who  have  the  honor 
•of  having  you  as  their  guests;  and  that  you  will  be  able  to 
.find  a  little  time  thereafter  to  look  about  and  see  some  of  our 
good  roads  and  be  moved  by  some  of  our  bad  roads;  and 
that  you  will  find  time  to  get  the  relaxation  which  is  offered 
you  by  the  wonderful  exposition  in  San  Francisco  and  by 
the  greater  exposition  that  we  believe  California  offers  to 
all  of  our  guests  who  will  ramble  about.  We  have  some 
roads  now  we  are  proud  to  show  you  and  that  will  give  you 
an  idea  of  the  direction  in  which  we  are  traveling.  Again, 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  7 

on  behalf  of  Governor  Johnson,  I  bid  you  a  hearty  welcome 
and  wish  the  greatest  success  to  your  deliberations.  (Ap- 
plause.)   

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  I  have  to  announce  that 
Governor  Lister  of  Washington  is  not  here,  but  he  will  be 
very  ably  represented  by  the  head  of  one  of  his  executive 
departments,  the  state  treasurer.  I  take  great  pleasure  in 
introducing  Mr.  A.  E.  Meath,  who  will  respond  for  the  state 
of  Washington.  (Applause.) 

Address  of  Welcome  on  Behalf  of  the  State  of  Washington 
By  A.  E.  MEATH 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Members  of  the  Pan-American  Road 
Congress:  Before  I  left  for  this  congress  I  was  delegated 
by  our  Governor  to  represent  him.  I  am  also  informed 
that  he  has  three  other  representatives  here  who  are  better 
speakers  than  I  am.  I  wish  to  state  this,  that  while  we  have 
a  young  state  up  there  we  are  progressive  in  road  building 
and  are  building  good  roads.  The  chairman  said  that  we 
come  here  to  learn.  That  is  why  I  am  here,  to  learn  the 
art  of  good  road  building.  In  the  state  of  Washington  we 
are  building  our  roads  now  on  the  road  levy.  The  state 
makes  a  mill  levy  for  the  public  highway  fund.  The  perma- 
nent highway  has  a  mill  and  a  quarter.  This  is  built  by 
the  various  counties  under  state  supervision.  I  could  talk 
single-handedly  to  all  of  you  on  the  road  proposition,  but  I 
came  here  to  learn.  I  would  sooner  have  you  hear  from  the 
others  of  our  state.  We  have  quite  a  few  here  from  WasTi- 
ington  and  any  one  of  them  is  better  posted  on  roads,  really, 
than  I  am.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  I  know  we  are  all  very 
grateful  to  Mr.  Meath,  but  if,  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Meath, 
we  could  have  Mr.  Frank  Terrace,  if  he  is  in  the  room, 
come  up  here  and  tell  of  the  pioneer  days  and  the  strug- 
gles to  get  them  started,  I  know  we  would  all  have  a  rich 
treat.  (Applause.)  From  my  visit  eight  years  ago  to 
the  Pacific  coast  I  noticed  quite  a  change  in  my  visit  the 
other  day,  and  no  man  has  done  more  to  bring  about  that 
change  than  the  man  who  is  going  to  speak  to  you  now. 

Address  by  Frank  Terrace 

Mr.  Chairman,  and  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  It  affords  me 
great  pleasure  to  meet  once  more  with  the  old  pioneers  in 
this  great  road  movement.  We  have  had  our  ups  and  downs 
in  this  movement.  Sometimes  we  have  had  fair  winds  and 
sometimes  we  have  had  foul  winds,  but  we  have  all  forged 
ahead.  I  might  say  that  every  state  in  the  Union  and 
every  county  in  the  Union  as  well  has  forged  ahead,  I  might 
tell  you  that  the  hardest  class  of  men  to  reach  in  this  whole 


8  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

United  States  of  ours  is  the  farmer,  and  he  is  the  man  whom 
good  roads  will  do  more  good  to  than  any  other  man  in  this 
country.  But  he  is  now  awakening  to  the  needs  and  neces- 
sities of  good  roads. 

Now  let  me  tell  you  a  little  of  the  ups  and  downs  in  our 
state.  I  live  in  a  valley  which  is  probably  the  best  piece  of 
land  according  to  its  size  in  the  whole  United  States.  (Laugh- 
ter.) It  is  made  of  decomposed  ash  by  overflows  from 
Mount  Rainier,  a  hundred  feet  deep,  without  a  particle  of 
grit  in  it,  and  you  could  eat  every  rock  that  you  can  find 
in  the  valley.  You  can  depend  upon  it  when  we  had  no 
roads  there  was  no  bottom  to  that  valley.  I  agitated  and 
I  advocated  better  highways  in  my  own  humble  way,  but  I 
made  very  little  progress.  I  appealed  to  pride,  but  it  was 
no  use.  When  you  talked  about  building  these  high-class 
roads  to  a  lot  of  impoverished  farmers  they  threw  their 
hands  up  in  holy  horror  and  they  hadn't  business  qualifica- 
tions enough  to  know  that  if  they  had  better  roads  they 
could  haul  their  produce  to  market  when  the  market  needed 
their  produce  instead  of  letting  it  rot  on  the  ground  in  the 
winter  time,  as  it  used  to  do  in  our  valley.  We  got  the 
county  that  I  live  in  worked  up  to  a  pitch  to  build  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  a  sample  road.  This  was  a  hard  piece  of  road 
to  build,  along  the  banks  of  the  Duwanish  River,  where  it 
had  to  be  rip-rap.  It  overflowed,  but  that  mile  and  a  half 
of  road  was  properly  built,  costing  twenty-two  thousand  dol- 
lars a  mile.  The  road  was  built  in  the  fall  of  the  year.  I 
nave  lived  in  that  valley  for  thirty-five  years.  The  road 
was  no  sooner  finished  than  there  was  a  flood.  Nine  feet 
of  water  stood  on  top  of  that  road  and  it  was  there  for 
nine  days,  and  they  said,  "Terrace,  your  road  is  gone  down 
the  river."  I  never  slept  for  nine  nights,  because  I  knew 
if  the  road  had  gone  down  they  would  have  hanged  me. 
(Laughter  and  applause.)  But,  Mr.  Chairman,  when  the 
road  came  up  out  of  the  water  she  was  no  worse  for  being 
under  nine  days.  The  farmers  started  to  use  that  road.  And 
when  they  were  coming  down  that  road  with  a  wagon  tongue 
flying  from  side  to  side  and  the  steam  flying  off  the  horses 
and  the  driver  with  whip  in  hand  to  avoid  chuck-holes  and 
mud-holes,  and  the  horses  climbed  up  onto  that  mile  and  a 
half  of  beautiful  road,  that  driver  put  his  reins  down  into 
the  socket,  he  took  his  pipe  out  and  he  lit  it  and  the  horses 
went  along  wagging  their  tails  from  side  to  side.  (Laugh- 
ter.) God  bless  my  life,  the  horses  had  more  sense  than 
the  men,  but  Mr.  Chairman,  when  the  horses  got  at  the 
other  end  of  this  mile  and  a  half  of  beautiful  road,  and 
had  to  fall  down  into  the  mud  and  swamp,  they  hesitated 
to  take  that  mud  again;  but,  Mr.  Chairman,  the  man  that  lit 
his  pipe  and  threw  the  lines  down  and  saw  the  horses  wag 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  9 

their  tails  from  side  to  side,  he  was  looking  down  on  that 
mile  and  a  half  of  road.  That  mile  and  a  half  of  road  did 
the  work.  It  was  like  a  good  restaurant.  You  can  depend 
upon  it  if  you  have  a  good  meal  in  a  restaurant  you  will  not 
only  go  there  again,  but  you  will  take  your  neighbors.  That 
mile  and  a  half  did  its  work.  The  farmers  wanted  three 
miles  more  on  each  end  of  this  road,  the  very  fellows  that 
would  have  taken  the  stars  down — they  were  so  much  op- 
posed to  putting  their  money  into  a  highway — and  when  we 
got  up  to  the  forks  of  the  road  where  the  valley  is  equally 
divided,  with  the  farmers  one-half  on  the  east  side  and  the 
other  half  on  the  west  side  and  only  money  enough  for 
one  road,  they  fought  for  two  long  years,  pretty  nearly 
killing  one  another,  over  who  was  to  get  that  road.  Quite  a 
change  and  quite  a  difference  from  what  there  was  when 
they  were  going  to  hang  me  for  advocating  a  better  road., 

Well,  we  have  gone  on  and  we  have  gone  on,  and  what 
are  we  doing  today?  We  are  building  some  of  the  best 
roads  in  that  little  state  that  there  are  in  the  whole  United 
States.  I  have  visited  pretty  nearly  every  road  in  this  great 
country  of  ours,  pretty  nearly  in  every  state  in  this  Union, 
and  I  know  what  I  am  talking  about  when  I  say  it.  We 
have  a  brick  that  cannot  be  beat  in  this  whole  country  and 
we  are  laying  some  of  our  main  roads  with  some  of  this 
brick,  costing  thirty-two  thousand  dollars  a  mile.  You 
never  hear  any  complaint  from  the  farmers  that  are  using 
these  high-class  roads.  Why?  We  didn't  go  into  this  thing 
with  a  rush;  we  went  into  this  thing  with  one  mile  and  a 
half  of  sample  road  only,  costing  twenty-two  thousand  dollars 
a  mile.  If  we  lost  our  money  we  didn't  lose  much,  but  we 
didn't  lose  our  money.  We  made  money.  We  got  a  hundred 
per  cent,  on  our  money  that  was  invested  and  the  farmers 
knew  it;  and  the  farmers  woke  up  to  the  necessity  of  better 
roads  and  better  highways.  Why  shouldn't  we?  We  don't 
know  what  we  have  got  out  here  in  this  great  and  beautiful 
country  of  ours.  We  have  inherited  here  one  of  the  finest 
pieces  of  country  that  God  ever  let  the  sun  shine  on.  I  was 
amused  last  Christmas  when  I  was  in  Chicago.  I  heard  the 
Mayor  of  Chicago,  Mayor  Harrison,  who  is  well  known  all 
over  this  great  country  of  ours,  get  up  and  speak  about  the 
great  state  of  Illinois,  about  the  great  possibilities  and  her 
great  natural  resources.  The  next  man  got  up  and  spoke 
about  the  city  of  Toronto  and  the  province  of  Toronto, 
and  what  they  had  done.  The  next  man  to  get  up  was  the 
Mayor  of  St.  Paul  and  he  told  them  there  that  he  represented 
the  great  bread  and  butter  state  of  this  Union.  Finally  the 
toastmaster  called  on  me.  I  didn't  only  represent  the  state 
of  Washington,  but  your  honorable  servant  here  also  repre- 
sented the  state  of  Oregon,  because  I  have  labored  as  well 


10  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

in  the  state  of  Oregon  for  better  'highways  as  I  have  in 
my  own  state.  I  gave  a  little  record  of  what  we  had  done 
out  in  this  corner  of  this  great  country  of  ours.  Fifty  short 
years  ago  the  Indians  were  smoking  their  salmon  where 
Second  avenue  now  stands.  In  that  short  space  of  time 
we  have  built  a  city  of  320,000  population,  the  best  lighted, 
the  best  paved,  and  the  best  watered  city  in  the  whole 
United  States.  (Applause.) 

I  says,  "Mr.  Toastmaster,  the  Mayor  from  St.  Paul  tells 
you  that  he  represents  the  great  bread  and  butter  state. 
Now  you  follow  me  and  I  will  take  you  into  the  land  of  milk 
and  honey.  We  will  not  only  give  you  bread  and  butter; 
we  will  give  you  beef  and  mutton;  we  will  give  you  fish 
galore.  We  will  give  you  fruit  of  all  kinds.  We  will  give 
you  hops  to  make  your  beer  and  grapes  to  make  your  wine. 
We  will  give  you  timber,  the  finest  that  the  world  has  ever 
seen,  eight  and  ten  feet  in  diameter  on  the  stump,  and  run- 
ning 200  feet  to  the  first  limb.  We  will  give  you  coal,  gold, 
silver  and  copper;  in  fact,  if  we  were  building  a  wall  so  high 
around  our  two  states  that  nobody  could  get  out  we  would 
enjoy  more  luxuries  than  any  people  on  the  face  of  God's 
green  earth."  (Laughter.) 

But,  Mr.  Chairman  and  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  when  we 
have  inherited  this  beautiful  gift  we  have  not  stood  idly  by. 
We  have  pulled  our  coats  off  in  these  great  states  and  we 
have  gone  to  work,  and  we  have  put  the  finishing  touches 
on,  and  we  are  building  roads  north,  south,  east  and  west 
across  our  states,  making  them  happier  and  pleasanter  for 
the  people  to  live  and  much  easier  for  the  farmer  to  make 
a  living  in.  But  our  work  is  only  begun. 

When  I  came  up  the  coast  I  landed  here  this  morning 
from  the  boat.  In  my  berth  last  night  I  was  studying  over 
conditions,  the  conditions  of  the  world.  There  is  all  along 
the  coast  of  Washington,  the  coast  of  Oregon,  and  also  part 
of  the  coast  of  California  no  road.  If  an  army  should  invade 
these  shores  tomorrow  anywhere  along  this  coast  we  couldn't 
transport  our  troops  to  meet  it.  You  have  got  neither  rail- 
road nor  wagon  road  there  to  carry  your  troops  over  to 
defend  your  homes,  and  I  think  it  is  a  question  for  this  great 
convention  to  take  up  that  the  national  government  should 
build  that  road  as  a  military  road  along  the  coast  from  here 
up  to  the  Puget  Sound,  because  you  must  understand  Europe 
is  getting  a  lesson  these  days  for  being  unprepared.  I  hope 
that  this  great  congress,  before  it  adjourns,  will  take  up  that 
matter.  Now  I  will  give  you  a  road  talk  before  we  get 
through.  I  haven't  begun  today,  because  I  didn't  expect  to 
be  called  on  right  now.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  I  regret  to  say  that  Gov- 
ernor James  Withycombe  is  not  with  us  today,  but  I  would 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  11 

be  very  glad  to  have  any  one  representing  the  state  of 
Oregon  come  up  to  the  platform  and  tell  us  what  you  are 
doing  there.  Is  there  anyone  here  that  wants  to  represent 
the  state  of  Oregon  and  tell  us  something  about  what  you 
are  doing? 

Is  the  Hon.  John  L.  Davie,  mayor  of  Oakland,  present? 
If  not,  we  have  a  splendid  representative  in  the  gentleman 
who  has  done  so  much  towards  the  organization  and  the 
carrying  out  of  that  magnificent  exposition  that  we  have 
here,  that  is  attracting  the  attention  of  the  world,  and  I 
know  you  will  be  very  glad  to  know  that  in  the  absence  of 
Director  Barr  his  very  able  and  efficient  assistant,  Mr.  H.  K. 
Bassett,  will  favor  us  with  some  remarks  in  regard  to  the 
splendid  exposition  that  we  are  all  enjoying. 


Address  by  H.  K.  Bassett 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Members  of  the  Convention:  I  hear 
the  twelve  o'clock  whistle,  which  I  imagine  is  one  of  the 
reasons  why  Mayor  Davie  is  not  here.  I  understand  the 
council  is  in  session  from  eleven  till  twelve.  I  come  withi 
very  hearty  and  very  sincere  greetings  from  the  exposition,, 
and  peculiarly  personal  from  our  chief,  Mr.  Barr,  the  director 
of  congresses,  because  his  and  ours  have  been  a  very  personal 
and  intimate  contact  with  the  officers  of  this  as  well  as  of 
the  other  organizations  who  are  meeting  here  during  these 
ten  months.  There  is  on  the  shores  of  San  Francisco  Bay 
a  most  wonderful,  a  most  beautiful  exposition,  a  veritable 
Fairyland.  I  needn't  tell  you  about  it,  because  you  have 
arranged  your  program.  You  have  arranged  a  trip  there 
so  that  you  may  see  something  of  it.  It  is  one  of  the  induce- 
ments which  has  brought  you  here,  but  it  seems  to  me  that 
for  the  moment  this  great  exposition  is  commemorating  the 
opening  of  the  Panama  canal,  an  event  the  historical  signifi- 
cance of  which  is  of  no  greater  importance  than  is  this  great 
good  roads  movement  all  over  this  and  other  countries. 
That  stands  out  as  a  rather  salient  and  wonderful  engineer- 
ing achievement,  and  yet  the  sum  total  of  the  value  of  the 
Panama  canal  to  mankind  surely  is  no  greater  than  that 
which  will  accrue  to  mankind  through  the  development  of 
good  roads  all  over  this  country.  It  seems  to  me  peculiar- 
ly appropriate  that  the  exposition  which  commemorates 
the  opening  of  the  canal  should  have  a  very  small  part  in 
welcoming  you  to  these  shares.  It  honors  itself  in  welcoming 
you  and  it  welcomes  you  most  heartily  and  most  sincerely. 
I  speak  very  informally,  but  very  sincerely,  for  the  entire 
exposition  directors;  for  President  Moore,  for  the  directors 
and  for  our  own  department,  which  through  nearly  three 
years  has  had  very  intimate  correspondence  with  the  officers 
of  this  organization. 


12  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

I  may  state  that  this  is  just  one  illustration  of  what  we 
have  attempted  to  do  through  these  ten  months,  to  have 
the  organization  bring  with  it  the  allied  organizations  of 
similar  interests.  So  we  have  here  two  of  the  great  organ- 
izations giving  up  their  individual  meetings  that  they  might 
be  merged  in  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress;  and  then  the 
Tri-State,  the  "local  organization,  which  is  meeting  this 
morning  over  in  San  Francisco,  concluding  its  individual 
sessions  today  and  then  joining  with  you.  Therefore,  we 
have  through  this  week  the  great  road-making  period  of 
the  exposition  here.  Last  week  the  dentists  closed  a  two- 
week  period,  which  mean  that  the  dental  fraternity  all  over 
the  country  might  come  and  within  ten  days  get  the  cream 
of  the  discussion  of  the  dental  subjects  from  all  over  this 
and  other  countries  and  at  the  same  time  see  the  exposition 
and  see  this  coast.  In  just  a  few  days,  beginning  this  week, 
in  fact,  come  the  engineering  forces  with  separate  and  indi- 
vidual organizations  meeting  this  week  and  all  merging  in 
an  engineering  congress  next  week.  So  it  is  with  the  insur- 
ance forces,  the  medical  forces  and  the  educational  forces. 
So  you  can  realize  how  personal  is  the  welcome  that  we 
offer  you  and  how  very  sincere  and  genuine  it  is,  because 
this  is  the  combination  of  the  weeks  and  the  months,  the 
years  in  many  cases,  of  correspondence  and  of  intimate  con- 
tact that  we  have  had  with  your  officers.  So  I  bid  you  a 
most  cordial,  a  most  sympathetic  and  heartfelt  welcome  for 
the  exposition  over  there.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  I  would  like  to  have  the 
delegates  pay  special  attention  to  the  announcements  in  the 
program  for  the  entertainments  that  have  been  provided, 
and  perhaps  I  should,  before  taking  up  the  announcements, 
say  that  the  proceedings  of  this  convention  will  be  of  inesti- 
mable value  and  be  a  text-book  for  all  time.  I  think  it  goes 
without  saying  that  you  have  comprehended  in  this  program 
the  men  of  this  country  who  are  most  influential,  who  are 
the  greatest  students  and  who  have  had  the  largest  experi- 
ence in  the  science  of  road  building  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  Now  these  proceedings  will  be  printed  after  our 
sessions  are  through  and  will  be  sent  to  the  members  ot 
either  association  in  regular  standing  last  June,  and  all  other 
delegates  that  are  present  at  this  congress  who  are  made 
temporary  members  by  card  for  the  nominal  price  of  $2, 
and  in  addition  the  temporary  members  will  receive  all  of 
the  enjoyments  and  the  hospitality  that  comes  to  the  dele- 
gates, with  all  the  privileges  of  the  session,  together  with  the 
copy  of  these  proceedings.  Now  the  cards  will  be  outside, 
and  it  is  only  necessary  to  fill  them  in  the  lobby  as  you  come 
in  or  go  out. 

Now  we  have  to  announce  an  automobile  inspection  trip 


PAN- AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  13 

on  Saturday.  That  will  be  a  delightful  privilege  to  be  enjoyed 
by  all.  Then  tonight  we  have  over  at  the  Oakland  Hotel, 
through  the  courtesy  of  the  local  committee,  a  smoker  at 
7:30.  We  would  like  to  have  you  all  there.  The  banquet 
will  be  at  the  Oakland  Hotel  on  Tuesday  evening.  The  tick- 
ets for  the  banquet  will  be  on  sale  here  in  the  lobby,  and 
also  over  in  room  200  in  the  Oakland  Hotel.  Then'  there  is 
to  be  a  trip  to  the  Yosemite  National  Park,  and  an  excur- 
sion on  Sunday.  A  registration  for  these  events  may  be 
made  at  room  200  in  the  Oakland  Hotel.  Now  you  will  ex- 
cuse me  for  making  those  announcements,  but  they  are  im- 
portant matters  and  I  thought  perhaps  you  would  like  to 
know  them.  I  think  it  would  be  well  to  notice  before  you 
go  away  that  a  group  photograph  will  be  taken  of  all  the 
delegates  present  immediately  at  the  close  of  this  morning's 
session. 

We  will  now  proceed  with  the  program.  The  next  address 
will  be  by  the  president  of  the  American  Road  Builders' 
Association,  one  of  the  two  associations  that  are  holding 
this  joint  convention,  and  the  oldest  association  that  we  have, 
Mr.  G.  W.  Tillson.  (Applause.) 

Address 

By  GEO.  W.  TILLSON 
President,  American  Road  Builders'  Association 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Pacific  Coast:  It 
certainly  is  a  pleasure,  as  well  as  an  honor,  for  me  to  appear 
before  you  today  as  a  representative  of  the  American  Road 
Builders'  Association  to  thank  you  for  your  kind  expres- 
sions of  good  will  and  words  of  welcome. 

The  American  Road  Builders'  Association  is  made  up  of 
members  residing  almost  wholly  in  the  eastern  and  southern- 
parts  of  our  country,  practically  all  east  of  the  Rocky- 
Mountains. 

For  a  long  time  the  question  of  holding  this  meeting  01* 
the  Pacific  Coast  was  debated  at  the  meetings  of  tlie  Board 
of  Directors,  and  it  was  finally  decided  that  it  should  be  held! 
here  and  in  connection  with  the  American  Highway  Asso- 
ciation. I  feel,  and  I  think  all  the  other  members  of  the 
Road  Builders'  Association  feel,  that  no  mistake  has  been 
made  in  the  decision.  While  probably  most  of  us  had  never 
seen  this  section  of  the  country  before,  we  had  nevertheless 
read  and  heard  a  great  deal  of  it,  and  we  knew  that  while, 
if  we  did  come  here,  we  might  bring  a  certain  amount  of. 
information  to  the  people  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  still  we  also 
knew  that  we  would  at  the  same  time  gain  a  great  deal 
of  information  for  ourselves,  and  we  were  glad  of  the  op- 
portunity of  paying  you  a  visit.  We  had  heard  much  of  the 
enthusiasm,  the  energy  and  the  self-confidence  of  the  people 


14  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

of  your  section,  and  we  hoped  that  by  this  visit  we  would 
be  able,  by  contact,  to  absorb  some  of  this  energy,  enthu- 
siasm and  self-confidence  in  the  same  manner  as  the  fabled 
Antaeus  renewed  his  vitality  by  contact  with  the  earth.  From 
the  little  we  have  seen  on  the  way  out  we  are  satisfied  that 
we  were  not  mistaken,  and  we  are  willing  to  impart  to  you 
all  the  information  or  knowledge  that  we  have  in  return  for 
what  we  have  gained  on  this  trip. 

I  wish,  therefore,  in  behalf  of  the  American  Road  Builders' 
Association,  to  thank  you  individually  and  collectively  for 
the  hospitality  and  courtesy  shown  the  members  of  this 
association,  and  we  trust  that  the  time  will  come  when  the 
members  of  this  section  will  visit  the  East  so  that  we  can 
reciprocate  in  a  small  way  the  courtesies  which  we  have 
received  from  you  on  this  occasion. 

The  American  Road  Builders'  Association  was  formed  in 
1902.  Its  object,  as  stated  in  its  constitution,  is  "to  acquire 
;and  disseminate  information  concerning  highway  construc- 
tion and  maintenance  in  the  states  and  cities  of  the  Union 
and  in  the  provinces  and  cities  of  Canada;  to  stimulate  in- 
terest in  the  subject,  and  to  promote  educational,  legislative 
and  other  measures  tending  to  their  accomplishment." 

During  the  years  that  this  association  has  been  in  ex- 
istence it  has  held  meetings  annually,  with  the  idea  of  fur- 
thering the  aims  just  enumerated,  and  it  feels  that  it  has 
accomplished  a  great  deal  along  those  lines.  Since  its  or- 
ganization, scientific  road  making  in  this  country  has  been 
inaugurated  and  developed  to  a  wonderful  extent.  It  has 
seen  the  ordinary  country  road  transformed  into  one  which 
will  compare  favorably  with  the  boulevards  and  streets  of 
our  cities,  and  it  has  seen  thousands  of  miles  of  roads  con- 
structed at  a  cost  of  millions  of  dollars  all  over  the  country. 

It  is  convinced,  however,  that  something  more  is  neces- 
sary to  the  construction  and  maintenance  of  a  highway  sys- 
tem than  a  knowledge  of  specifications  and  proper  construc- 
tion, and  this  brings  me  to  a  point  to  which  I  wish  to  call 
your  special  attention  and  that  is  the  great  importance  of 
continuity  in  public  work  policies. 

This  country,  being  practically  in  its  infancy,  has  not  had, 
until  recent  years,  very  extensive  public  works,  and  it  is  not 
strange  that  definite  and  positive  policies  for  carrying  them 
on  from  year  to  year  and  from  generation  to  generation  have 
not  been  developed.  But  this  is  a  matter  of  great  importance, 
•and  without  it  no  scheme  of  public  works  can  be  carried  on 
•economically  and  efficiently.  One  definite  policy  carried  on 
from  year  to  year  and  decade  to  decade  will  often  produce 
better  results  as  a  whole  than  many  different  policies,  even 
if  they  are  all  individually  better.  Individual  ideas  differ, 
and  changes  are  made  which,  even  if  they  produce  better 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  15 

results  at  the  time  being,  create  such  confusion  that  the  final 
results  do  not  differ  very  much  economically  or  physically 
from  the  original  plan  systemically  carried  out. 

This  principle  of  continuity  of  policies,  however,  is  begin- 
ning to  be  recognized.  It  has  been  recognized  and  adopted 
for  many  years  in  Europe,  and  to  a  great  extent  in  England; 
in  fact,  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  possible  that  it  is  being 
carried  too  far.  The  act  establishing  the  English  Road  Board 
provides  for  the  appointment  of  five  members  of  the  board, 
each  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  one  member  retiring  every 
two  years.  A  prominent  official  of  this  board,  on  a  visit 
to  this  country  a  few  years  ago,  appearing  before  a  com- 
mittee of  the  U.  S.  Senate  which  was  discussing  a  road  mat- 
ter, suggested  to  the  committee  the  importance  of  protect- 
ing the  road  engineers  of  the  United  States  by  making  their 
appointments  permanent.  He  said,  however,  subsequently 
to  the  speaker,  "If  I  had  been  giving  evidence  before  an 
English  committee  I  should  probably  have  tendered  different 
advice."  This  is  because,  as  he  stated,  the  young  English- 
man enters  into  the  public  service  as  a  life  work,  because 
he  knows  the  position  is  permanent.  In  this  country  young 
engineers  as  a  rule  enter  the  public  service  without  any  pros- 
pect of  permanency.  This  idea,  however,  is  gradually  chang- 
ing, especially  in  the  larger  cities,  nearly  all  of  which  at  the 
present  time  are  governed  by  civil  service  rules,  so  that 
employees  of  a  municipality  are  very  seldom  discharged 
except  for  lack  of  employment  or  for  cause".  For  instance, 
an  engineer  has  recently  been  retired  by  the  Board  of  Esti- 
mate and  Apportionment  of  New  York  City  who  had  been 
employed  by  the  city  for  fifty-four  years. 

But  the  point  which  I  wish  to  bring  out  is  not  so  much 
the  permanency  of  the  employees  of  a  department,  but  the 
organization'  of  a  road  commission,  or  any  public  works 
department,  in  such  a  way  that  changes  in  the  political  admin- 
istrations will  not  mean  changes  in  the  organization  of  the 
commission  or  department,  thereby  making  changes  in  policy. 

How  political  changes  may  cause  changes  in  administra- 
tion as  well  as  organization  can  probably  be  best  illustrated 
by  the  conditions  in  the  state  of  New  York.  The  state  high- 
way work  in  this  state  was  begun  practically  in  1898,  when 
$50,000  was  appropriated  and  the  work  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  State  Engineer  and  Surveyor.  The  work  continued 
under  the  different  state  engineers,  so  that  it  was  possible 
for  a  change  to  be  made  every  two  years,  and,  in  fact,  in 
the  first  ten  years  the  work  was  carried  out  by  four  different 
state  engineers.  In  1907  a  bond*  issue  of  $50,000,000  was 
authorized,  and  in  1908  a  highway  law  was  passed  provid- 
ing for  a  State  Department  of  Highways,  under  a  commis- 
sion form.  This  law  became  effective  on  January  1,  1909, 


16  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

and  a  commission  was  appointed  and  proceeded  with  the 
work.  The  Legislature  of  1911  abolished  this  commission 
and  substituted  in  its  stead  a  Superintendent  of  Highways, 
with  the  State  Engineer  and  the  Superintendent  of  Public 
Works  ex-officio  members  of  a  commission.  This  com- 
mission held  office  until  1913,  at  which  time  the  three-headed 
commission  was  abolished  by  the  Legislature  and  the  ap- 
pointment of  one  commissioner  substituted.  The  commis- 
sioner thus  appointed  held  office  for  a  little  less  than  two 
years,  when  he  resigned  and  the  present  commissioner  was 
appointed. 

From  the  time  the  first  work  was  started,  in  1898,  up  to 
the  present,  thirteen  men  have  been  in  charge  of  highway 
work  in  the  State  of  New  York.  With  such  changes,  not 
only  of  individuals  but  of  commissions  and  policies,  is  it 
possible  for  good  and  efficient  work  to  be  accomplished? 

It  might  be  said  that  in  addition  to  the  $50,000,000  hereto- 
fore alluded  to,  subsequently  another  $50,000,000  was  voted 
for  by  the  people,  so  that  since  1898,  in  addition  to  the  rela- 
tively small  appropriations  made  by  the  Legislature,  the 
road  authorities  of  New  York  have  had  $100,000,000  to  ex- 
pend on  state  roads. 

It  should  be  said,  however,  that,  despite  all  these  changes, 
political  as  well  as  individual,  the  work  of  the  New  York 
State  Highway  Department  at  the  present  time  will  compare 
favorably  with  that  of  any  other  state  in  the  country. 

A  very  different  state  of  affairs,  however,  will  be  found 
if  the  history  of  the  Massachusetts  Highway  Commission 
be  examined.  This  commission  was  first  appointed  in  Febru- 
ary, 1893,  and  the  law  relating  to  the  organization  of  the 
same  has  not  been  changed.  The  chairman  of  the  commis- 
sion is  appointed  by  the  Governor,  and  in  the  twenty-two 
years  since  the  first  commission  was  appointed  there  have 
been  seven  commissions,  but  composed  of  only  ten  indi- 
viduals. In  the  appointment  of  the  chairman,  in  every  case 
except  one,  the  selection  was  made  of  a  man  who  had  pre- 
viously served  on  the  commission,  and  wherever  a  com- 
missioner has  ended  his  membership  it  has  been  either  by 
death  or  resignation.  There  have  been  but  two  secretaries 
to  the  commission,  and  the  present  secretary  had  been  as- 
sistant secretary  four  years  previous  to  his  appointment. 
There  have  been  but  two  chief  engineers  of  the  commission 
since  its  organization. 

As  might  be  expected,  the  work  of  this  commission  has 
been  systematic  and  efficient,  and  first-class  results  have  been 
obtained.  By  its  continuous  life  it  has  been  able  to  establish 
a  policy  and  to  continue  it,  bringing  about  expected  results. 

At  the  present  time  there  is  in  existence  in  New  York 
State  a  convention  for  drawing  up  a  new  state  constitution, 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  17 

to  be  presented  to  the  voters  of  the  state  at  the  November 
election.  The  engineers  of  the  state,  recognizing  the  impor- 
tance of  establishing  a  definite  scheme  and  policy  for  state 
public  works,  formed  committees  from  the  American  Society 
of  Civil  Engineers,  the  American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engi- 
neers, the  American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers,  the 
American  Institute  of  Consulting  Engineers,  the  Municipal 
Engineers  of  the  City  of  New  York  and  the  Brooklyn  Engi- 
neers' Club,  and  formulated  recommendations  to  the  con- 
vention regarding  the  carrying  out  of  public  works.  One  of 
their  recommendations  was  that  there  should  be  created  a 
Department  of  Engineering  and  Public  Works,  to  be  headed 
by  three  commissioners  appointed  by  the  Governor,  each  to 
have  a  twelve-year  term  of  office,  so  arranged  that  a  vacancy 
would  be  created  every  four  years  immediately  after  the 
inauguration  of  a  new  Governor.  They  also  recommended 
tlie  creation  of  a  Department  of  Public  Utilities,  to  be  headed 
by  five  commissioners  appointed  by  the  Governor,  each  to 
have  a  ten-year  term  of  office,  so  arranged  that  a  vacancy 
would  be  created  every  two  years.  Both  of  these  recom- 
mendations recognize  the  importance  of  a  continuing  policy, 
and  also  provide  how  it  should  be  brought  about.  Just 
what  action  will  be  taken  by  the  convention  on  this  matter 
of  course  is  not  known,  but  should  this  general  scheme  be 
adopted  it  will  undoubtedly  work  to  great  advantage. 

An  example,  however,  of  the  continuing  policy  can  be  seen 
in  the  City  of  New  York,  in  the  construction  of  the  new 
Catskill  water  supply.  This  work  is  being  done  under  a 
commission  appointed  by  the  Mayor  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  with  a  chief  engineer  at  the  head  of  the  technical 
staff.  While  there  have  been  some  changes  in  the  personnel 
of  the  commission,  one  of  the  present  commissioners  was 
an  original  appointee,  and  the  chief  engineer  of  the  board 
has  been  chief  since  the  beginning.  This  is  probably  the 
largest  system  of  public  works  ever  inaugurated  by  any 
municipality.  Its  conduit  is  carried  under  the  Hudson  River 
at  a  depth  of  1,100  ft.  below  the  surface;  it  is  continued 
down  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  River  to  the  city, 
carried  under  the  Borough  of  Manhattan  (the  old  City  of 
New  York)  at  an  average  depth  of  200  ft.,  then  under  the 
East  River,  under  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn,  and  across 
the  Narrows  to  the  Borough  of  Richmond,  or  what  is  gen- 
erally known  as  Staten  Island.  This  enormous  work  has 
been  carried  out  under  the  direction  of  one  chief  engineer, 
the  same  man  from  beginning  to  end,  with  wonderful  suc- 
cess. Its  success  is  due  not  only  to  the  ability  of  the  chief 
engineer,  which  is  great,  but  also  to  the  fact  that  the  admin- 
istration and  the  policy  of  the  construction  have  been  the 
same  from  the  very  beginning  to  the  end,  which  is  rapidly 


18  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

approaching.     The  estimated  cost  of  this  work  is  practically 
two  hundred  million  dollars. 

This  question  of  policy,  gentlemen,  is  a  problem  that  the 
American  Road  Builders'  Association  has  discovered  since 
it  began  to  work.  I  trust  that  I  have  said  enough  to  con- 
vince you  of  its  importance  and  how  necessary  it  is  for  all 
road  associations  to  work,  not  simply  for  a  knowledge  of 
construction  and  specifications,  but  for  the  adoption  of  a 
scheme  for  carrying  out  these  works  and  to  bring  about  the 
proper  administration  in  the  field  and  in  the  office  so  that 
good  construction  and  good  results  may  be  obtained  from 
good  specifications.  If  the  American  Road  Builders'  Asso- 
ciation, by  joining  in  this  meeting  here  in  this  city,  has 
materially  advanced  this  idea  of  a  continuing  policy  so  that 
the  different  organizations  both  in  the  West  and  in  the  East 
will  work  for  it  as  strongly  as  they  work  for  good  construe^ 
tion  and  good  maintenance,  I  shall  feel  that  the  meeting  has 
been  successful,  even  should  it  accomplish  nothing  more. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  The  next  speaker  is  so 
well  known  that  he  hardly  needs  an  introduction,  and  he 
will  very  ably  represent  Mr.  Fairfax  Harrison,  who  is  the 
president  of  the  American  Highway  Association.  I  take 
pleasure  in  introducing  to  the  convention  Mr.  Charles  P. 
Light.  (Applause.) 

Address 
By  CHARLES  P.  LIGHT 

Representing  President  Fairfax  Harrison,  of  the  American  Highway 
Association 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Members  of  the  Pan-American  Road 
Congress  and  the  various  associations  represented  here: 
I  regret  very  much  that  Mr.  Harrison,  the  president  of  the 
American  Highway  Association,  is  not  able  to  be  with  you. 
I  know  of  his  vital,  abounding  and  abiding  interest  in  this 
great  work.  The  American  Highway  Association  was  not 
organized  as  a  technical  body,  but  to  carry  on  a  campaign 
of  education  throughout  the  country  looking  toward  the 
solving  of  some  of  the  problems  having  to  do  not  only  with 
the  construction  of  roads,  but  their  maintenance,  and  the 
doing  away  of  a  lot  of  wastefulness  that  existed  in  the  coun- 
try. Mr.  Tillson  has  very  ably  referred  to  one  matter  and 
that  is  tenure  of  office.  He  referred  to  New  York  state 
and  to  Massachusetts,  and  if  not  by  comparison  certainly 
by  contrast  I  know  you  grasp  the  lesson  that  he  desires  to 
teach  you.  The  most  valuable  thing  to  a  man  in  road  build- 
ing as  well  as  a  great  many  other  things  is  continuity  of 
tenure  of  office.  The  American  Highway  Association  has 
consistently  carried  on  a  campaign  looking  toward  the  elimi- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  19 

nation  of  partisan,  political  influence  not  only  in  the  highway 
departments  throughout  the  states,  but  in  the  various  sub- 
divisions of  the  states. 

I  myself  am  the  most  illustrious  example  of  an  extin- 
guished and  distinguished  highway  commissioner.  (Laugh- 
ter.) I  was  highway  commissioner  of  West  Virginia.  I  was 
a  highway  commissioner  there,  and  they  got  mixed  up. 
When  I  left  the  capitol  of  the  state  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  going  east  to  my  home  I  was  commissioner.  When 
I  passed  the  first  station,  thirty  miles  east  of  Charleston,  I 
was  not  a  commissioner.  Between  the  hours  of  three  and 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning  things  happened  to  me  (laugh- 
ter), and  they  have  happened  to  others  since. 

Gentleman,  that  ought  not  to  exist.  That  ought  not  to 
continue.  They  have  not  happened  that  way  in  Massachu- 
setts. I  don't  know  how  long  Mr.  Tillson  has  -occupied  the 
position  that  he  occupies  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  but  I  kfiow 
that  Mr.  Lewis  has  occupied  his  position  in  New  York  City 
a  number  of  years.  I  know  Mr.  MacDonald  occupied  his 
position  for  a  number  of  years.  I  know  a  commissioner  is 
better  today  than  he  was  last  week,  and  as  he  continues  in 
office  that  he  will  get  better;  and  he  will,  if  he  is  the  right 
man  to  have  the  appointment.  Each  day,  each  week,  and 
each  month  makes  him  more  efficient.  Therefore,  we  want 
to  remove  these  public  officials  having  to  do  with  county 
work  and  state  work  from  the  effects  of  partisan  political 
influence. 

I  also  want  to  see  the  time  when  the  national  government 
will  help  the  states  on  a  safe  and  sane  basis  in  the  construc- 
tion and  maintenance  of  roads.  We  also  want  to  see  the 
time  when  not  only  the  counties  that  have  these  men  who 
are  efficient,  but  a  great  many  counties  in  this  country 
who  have  not  at  this  time  efficient  highway  commissioners 
shall  have  them  in  charge  of  the  expenditure  of  money.  We 
want  to  substitute  scientific  knowledge  of  a  technical  char- 
acter for  guesswork.  We  want  to  see  not  only  these  roads 
built  with  durable  surface  and  all  the  grades  made,  but  dirt 
roads — the  earth  roads  of  the  country — dragged  as  they  ought 
to  be  dragged.  We  will  always  have  eighteen  hundred  thou- 
sand miles  of  earth  roads  in  this  country,  and  why  not  main- 
tain them  and  keep  them  repaired  in  the  cheapest  way  rather 
than  doing  it  at  an  excessive  cost.  There  is  a  great  oppor- 
tunity for  educational  work  in  the  country,  and  I  am  proud 
to  be  connected  with  an  organization  that  is  endeavoring  to 
do  those  things. 

As  I  said  in  the  beginning,  I  know  that  Mr.  Harrison 
would  have  liked  to  be  here  because  he  is  vitally  interested 
and  is  giving  his  time  and  his  money  toward  helping  us  carry 
on  our  work.  I  also  appreciate  on  the  part  of  the  people 


20  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

out  here  the  courtesies  that  have  been  extended  the  Ameri- 
can \Highway  Association  on  the  committees  and  anticipate, 
if  I  am  allowed  to  do  so,  the  treatment  that  will  have  been 
extended  during  the  week.  I  am  sorry  that  Mr.  Harrison 
was  not  here  yesterday  to  take  a  trip  that  I  took.  I  am 
sorry  I  had  to  represent  him  on  that  trip.  They  have  some- 
thing out  here  we  don't  have,  a  sky-line.  If  you  gentlemen 
have  your  wives  with  you  leave  them  at  the  hotel  and  kiss 
them  good-bye  when  you  take  that  trip.  I  doubt  if  you  will 
ever  see  them  again.  I  have  never  seen  anything  like  it  and 
I  don't  ever  want  to  see  anything  like  it  again.  It  was  one 
of  the  few  times  in  my  life  when  I  couldn't  talk  (laughter), 
and  I  really  would  not  know  what  to  say  if  I  could  have 
talked. 

There  are  a  number  of  things  here  for  us  to  see  and  1 
am  very  glad  personally,  as  well  as  the  representative  of 
Mr.  Harrison,  the  president  of  our  association,  that  this  joint 
congress  is  being  held.  I  am  very  glad  that  these  bodies 
have  joined  forces  and  are  looking  toward  the  solving  of 
great  problems  in  transportation  in  our  country.  We  are 
spending  a  lot  of  money,  gentlemen,  four  hundred  million 
dollars,  this  year  for  road  and  street  work  in  this  country 
as  against  approximately  one  hundred  million  dollars  five 
years  ago.  Just  think  of  that.  Ten  per  cent,  of  that  money 
is  being  spent  in  Mr.  Tillson's  state  and  -city,  approximately. 
Forty  million  dollars  a  year.  States  are  anticipating  further 
bond  issues.  This  state  here  (California)  twelve  million 
dollars  more;  Pennsylvania  in  1918  will  vote  for  fifty  million 
dollars.  Now  we  must  get  together  and  keep  getting  to- 
gether and  keep  striving  toward  the  solving  of  problems 
so  that  we  will  not  waste  this  money  that  we  are  taking 
from  the  people,  but  give  them  a  dollar's  worth  of  roads 
in  return  for  the  dollar  spent. 

I  am  very  glad  to  be  here  myself  and  expect  to  stay  here 
during  the  week.  I  have  been  here  four  days  and  I  have 
had  a  corking  good  time,  and  if  you  fellows  have  as  good  a 
time  the  rest  of  the  week  as  I  have  had  since  I  have  been 
here  you  won't  have  to  apologize  to  anybody  for  not  hav- 
ing a  good  time  and  not  having  some  one  take  care  of  you. 
1  want  to  say  this.  I  don't  want  to  hurt  anybody's  feel- 
ings, but  when  my  time  is  up  here  I  am  ready  to  go  back 
home.  This  is  a  fine  country — to  visit  (laughter).  I  would 
like  to  stay  here  just  about  a  week.  It  is  so  big  you  can 
get  lost  out  here.  It  is  so  enormous,  so  great,  so  majestic, 
and  it  has  done  us  a  lot  of  good  to  come  out  here,  we  fel- 
lows of  the  East  who  have  never  been  here  and  who  have 
been  bragging  about  what  we  have.  Why,  Frank  Terrace 
knows  more  than  I  have  forgotten  (laughter).  Frank  Ter- 
race is  »going  to  tell  you  a  great  many  more  things  than  he 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  21 

has  told  you  because  he  has  thought  big  things,  he  has  seen 
big  things.  This  a  great  country  and  it  gives  us  a  different 
conception  of  what  the  United  States  of  America  is,  and 
that  is  one  reason  I  am  glad  the  congress  met  out  here. 
Just  coming  across  the  country  we  see  what  a  great  nation 
we  are,  and  why  shouldn't  we  try  to  solve  the  great  prob- 
lems of  transportation?  (Applause.) 


CHAIRMAN  MACDONALD:  Just  a  word  and  then  we 
will  conclude  the  program.  I  will  appoint  the  following1 
members  of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions.  Will  the  Sec- 
retary read  the  names  of  the  committee  on  resolutions,  after 
which  we  will  hear  just  a  word  from  Mr.  Egilbert,  the  com- 
missioner of  the  California  building? 

MR.  POWERS:  G.  W.  Tillson,  Chairman;  W.  T.  Uhler, 
Capt.  Walter  Coggeshall,  W.  Tom  Winn,  Sam  Hill,  Lamar 
Cobb,  Benjamin  Gates,  W.  W.  Crosby,  W.  T.  Headley,  A.  E. 
Loder,  C.  M.  Kerr. 

CHAIRMAN  MACDONALD:  Mr.  Egilbert  will  now 
speak  to  you. 



Address    by    Mr.    Egilbert 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Congress:  I  notice  by 
your  program  you  expect  to  spend  a  day  at  the 'exposition, 
and  as  one  of  the  commissioners  at  the  exposition  and  the 
Commissioner  General  of  this  state  I  extend  to  you  for  the 
fifty-eight  counties  of  California  an  invitation  to  visit  with 
them  that  afternoon  after  you  have  finished  your  more  im- 
portant work.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  Brother  Terrace  ex- 
tended a  challenge  to  the  mayor  of  St.  Paul  in  Chicago  that 
if  his  people  would  come  out  to  the  two  states  on  the  coast 
and  build  a  wall,  that  they  could  live  inside  of  that  wall 
without  asking  "the  world  to  help  them,  I  will  place  you  peo- 
ple up  against  the  representatives  of  fifty-eight  counties  of 
California  who  will  show  you  that  in  one  state,  if  they 
built  a  wall  around  it  you  would  never  want  to  go  out  of  it. 
(Applause.) 


CHAIRMAN  MACDONALD:  This  concludes  the  exer- 
cises for  the  morning  and  we  will  have  a  session  at  two 
o'clock,  at  which  the  regular  business  of  this  congress  will 
commence.  We  will  have  at  that  session  "The  History  and 
Future  of  Highway  Improvement,"  "The  Relation  of  the 
Road  to  Rail  and  Water  Transportation,"  "The  Benefits  and 
Burdens  of  Better  Roads,"  "Roadside  Improvement,"  "The 
Essentials  of  Proper  Laws  for  Highway  Work,"  "National, 
State  and  Local  Responsibility  for  Road  Conditions,"  and 
"Ways  of  Securing  Improvements."  I  thank  you  all  for 
your  attendance  this  morning. 

An  adjournment  was  then  taken  until  two  o'clock  p.  m. 


22  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

FIRST  SESSION,  2  P.  M. 

JAMES  H.  MACDONALD:  In  the  absence  of  Fairfax 
Harrison,  President  of  the  American  Highway  Association, 
Dr.  Pratt  has  kindly  consented  to  preside,  so  I  have  great 
pleasure  in  presenting  Dr.  J.  H.  Pratt,  Secretary  of  the  State 
Highway  Commission  and  State  Geologist  of  North  Caro- 
lina; Dr.  Pratt.  (Applause.) 

(Dr.  J.  H.  Pratt  then  took  the 'Chair.) 

CHAIRMAN  PRATT:  Any  little  talk  that  I  might  make 
I  am  going  to  postpone  until  I  come  regularly  on  the  pro- 
gram on  Thursday  morning,  so  there  won't  be  any  chance  at 
all  of  repetition  of  what  I  have  to  say.  Before  taking  up  the 
program  I  want  to  read  a  telegram  that  came  in  this 
morning. 

"Boston  sends  greetings  to  Pan-American  Congress  in  Convention  at 
Oakland  this  week.  Cordially  invites  members  to  select  Boston  for  191ft 
meeting  place. 

(Signed)   James  H.  Curley, 
Mayor  of  Boston." 

That  will  be  referred  to  the  secretaries  of  the  two  asso- 
ciations. 

The  first  subject  for  discussion  this  afternoon  is  "The  His- 
tory and  Future  of  Highway  Improvement."  The  first  paper 
is  by  the  Hon.  Logan  Waller  Page,  Director,  Office  of  Pub- 
lic Roads,  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  I  was 
going  to  let  Major  Crosby  speak  to  you  without  any  intro- 
duction. He  is  representing  Mr.  Page  and  I  thought  those 
of  you  who  did  fcot  know  Major  Crosby  might  think  he  was 
Mr.  Page,  but  Major  Crosby  wants  to  stand  on  his  own 
colors,  so  I  introduce  to  you  Major  Crosby,  of  Maryland, 
who  is  representing  Mr.  Page.  (Applause.) 

MAJOR  W.  W.  CROSBY:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Ladies  and 
Gentlemen:  I  was  afraid  that  I  might  be  accused  of  at- 
tempting to  sail  under  false  colors  and  of  impersonating 
Mr.  Page,  the  distinguished  director  of  the  Office  of  Public 
Roads.  Therefore  I  asked  Dr.  Pratt  to  explain  the  situation. 
I  might  say  in  justice  to  Mr.  Page,  who  is  deeply  interested 
as  you  all  know,  both  officially  and  personally  in  the  road 
movement  and  in  this  particular  road  congress,  that  Mr. 
Page  expected  to  be  here  and  prepared  a  very  valuable  paper 
at  my  request  as  chairman  of  the  program  committee.  Un- 
fortunately as  he  was  about  to  start  he  found  that  it  would 
be  absolutely  necessary  for  him  to  have  a  personal  confer- 
ence with  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  in  relation  to  the 
estimates  for  his  department  which  had  to  be  included  in 
the  budget  for  next  year.  The  necessity  of  that  personal 
interview,  which  of  course  takes  some  time,  with  the  Sec- 
retary of  Agriculture  at  the  latter's  convenience,  has  pre- 
vented Mr.  Page  from  personally  addressing  us.  I  will,  how- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  23 

ever,  with  your  permission  read  his  paper  on  "The  History 
and  Future  of  Highway  Improvement." 

The   History   and   Future   of   Highway   Improvement 

By  LOGAN  WALLER  PAGE 
Director,  U.  S.  Office  of  Public  Roads  and  Rural  Engineering 

From  the  standpoint  of  construction,  the  history  of  high- 
way improvement  back  of  1775,  when  Tresaguet,  the  famous 
French  engineer,  made  known  his  method,  has  little  more 
than  a  sentimental  interest.  To  duplicate  the  massive  Roman 
highways  today  would  involve  the  use  of  an  incredible 
amount  of  labor  and  material,  the  most  of  which  would  be 
wholly  unnecessary.  I  should  estimate  that  a  Roman  high- 
way, such  as  the  Appian  Way,  would  cost  today  approxi- 
mately $245,000  per  mile.  In  this  age  of  conservation  of 
energy  and  materials,  the  massive  ancient  highways  have 
no  place. 

Tresaguet,  while  Inspector  General  of  the  District  of 
Limoges,  presented  a  report  to  the  Assembly  of  Roads  and 
Bridges  of  Paris  in  1775  in  which  he  laid  down  the  essentials 
of  good  highways  as,  first,  adequate  drainage;  second,  the 
reduction  of  the  foundation  to  a  single  course  of  stone  laid 
on  edge  on  a  subgrade  crowned  parallel  to  the  finished  sur- 
face; third,  a  single  course  of  broken  stone  to  cover  <he 
foundation  to  a  thickness  of  about  6  ins.,  and,  fourth,  a 
system  of  continuous  maintenance  by  regular  employees. 
Out  of  the  labors  of  Tresaguet  grew  the  splendid  road  sys- 
tem of  France,  with  its  great  organization  of  cantonniers 
for  continuous  systematic  maintenance.  About  twenty-five 
years  later,  Telford,  in  England,  announced  a  method  of 
construction  almost  identical  with  that  of  Tresaguet,  and 
about  the  same  time  McAdam  introduced  his  method,  which 
varied  from  that  of  Tresaguet  by  discarding  the  pitched 
foundation  and  using  on  the  earth  subgrade  a  single  course 
of  hand-broken  stone.  The  methods  followed  by  these  three 
men  continued  without  fundamental  changes  until  practi- 
cally the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  century.  The  invention 
of  the  stone  crusher  by  Blake  in  1858  resulted  in  the  very 
general  abolition  of  hand  labor  for  crushing  stone,  while 
the  invention  of  the  steam  roller  by  Lemoine  in  1859  marked 
another  step  toward  the  perfection  of  equipment  and  in- 
crease in  efficiency  of  construction  work.  The  McAdam 
method  has  been  modified  to  the  extent  that  the  stone  is 
now  usually  applied  in  courses  and  stone  screenings  are 
used  as  a  binder.  The  advent  of  the  automobile  has,  as  you 
well  know,  served  to  revolutionize  methods  of  construction 
and  maintenance,  and  has  given  a  new  functional  importance 
to  the  highway  which  has  practically  made  it  necessary  for 
us  to  start  into  the  twentieth  century  on  a  new  basis. 


24  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

From  an  administrative  standpoint,  the  experience  of 
European  countries  is  valuable  to  us  chiefly  through  its 
demonstration  of  the  efficiency  of  a  centralized  and  syste- 
matic supervision  as  compared  with  uncorrelated  local  super- 
vision or  with  the  management  of  the  roads  by  private  enter- 
prise in  the  form  of  toll  companies.  The  French  system  of 
highways  affords  us  an  example  of  efficient  centralized  man- 
agement which  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  value  in  working  out 
our  own  systems  of  management.  Washington  recom- 
mended in  a  letter  to  Patrick  Henry  that  the  roads  of 
Virginia  be  taken  away  from  the  control  of  the  county 
courts  and  be  given  to  the  state  authorities.  One  of  Ham- 
ilton's pet  schemes  was  that  of  road  improvement,  and  he 
recognized  thoroughly  that  roads  left  to  local  authority  would 
never  be  satisfactorily  built.  In  a  functional  sense,  the 
national  roads  of  France  were  laid  out  before  the  advent 
of  the  railroad,  and  were  designed  to  serve  the  purpose 
which,  in  later  times,  was  served  in  that  and  other  countries 
by  the  railroads.  In  other  words,  it  has  yet  to  be  demon- 
strated that  the  highway  may  be  considered  in  the  class 
of  the  railroad  as  main  trunk  lines  of  traffic.  Possibly  if 
the  French  national  highways  had  been  laid  out  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  twentieth  century  instead  of  the  nineteenth  a  dif- 
fejent  plan  might  have  resulted.  The  French  methods  of 
construction  prior  to  the  general  introduction  of  the  auto- 
mobile were  the  methods  of  McAdam  and  Tresaguet,  so  that 
France  is  having  the  same  problem  of  adapting  the  roads 
to  me.et  the  new  traffic  conditions  that  confronts  us  in  this 
country,  except  that  her  difficulties  are  greater  by  reason 
of  the  large  mileage  of  roads  built  according  to  the  old 
methods.  The  French  system  of  management  and  mainte- 
nance, however,  has  resulted,  through  a  long  period  of  years, 
in  keeping  the  French  roads  in  first-class  condition,  and  at 
less  cost  per  mile  than  in  England  where  the  policy  of  ex- 
treme localization  in  road  management  has  largely  prevailed. 
Maintenance  costs  have  increased  so  enormously  in  recent 
years  that  figures  promulgated  a  few  years  back  are  of  little 
value;  but  I  should  estimate  that  the  general  cost  of  main- 
tenance in  England  has  been  at  least  20  per  cent,  higher 
than  the  cost  of  maintenance  in  France,  this  difference  be- 
ing due  largely  to  the  difference  in  management. 

Another  lesson  of  importance  in  the  history  of  highways 
abroad  was  the  experience  of  England  with  the  toll  roads. 
During  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  toll  roads 
formed  a  perfect  network  throughout  England,  Scotland  and 
Ireland,  but  they  proved  so  costly  in  operation  and  so  in- 
efficient in  results  as  to  cause  the  most  widespread  dissatis- 
faction and  opposition.  By  1878  every  toll  road  had  been 
abolished  in  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  25 

Our  own  history  of  road  management  has  been,  for  the 
most  part,  a  repetition  and  an  exaggeration  of  the  poor  local 
management  which  came  to  us  as  English  precedent.  The 
best  evidence  we  have  as  to  the  inefficiency  of  extreme 
localization  in  road  management  is  the  fact  that  the  only 
states  which  are  really  noted  for  their  excellent  highways 
are  those  in  which  the  state  government  has  provided  a 
system  of  state  highways.  No  doubt,  mistakes  have  been 
made  in  state  work,  with  considerable  waste  of  state  money 
through  the  influence  of  politics  and  faulty  organization, 
but  the  fact  remains  that  during  the  past  twelve  or  fifteen 
years  in  which  state  aid  has  been  a  prominent  factor  the 
states  of  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York,  New  Jer- 
sey, Maryland,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Virginia,  California, 
Washington  and  others  have  made  greater  progress  than 
was  made  throughout  their  entire  history  prior  to  the  adop- 
tion of  the  policy  of  state  participation.  We  are  spending 
at  the  present  time  upwards  of  a  quarter  of  a  billion  dollars 
a  year,  and  it  is  absolutely  imperative  that  centralized  and 
systematic  control  be  provided  if  we  are  to  avoid  .saddling 
posterity  with  a  heavy  debt  for  improvements  which  do 

not  materialize. 

% 

The  rapid  development  of  the  automobile  and  the  concen- 
tration of  approximately  one-half  our  population  in  crowded 
cities  are  two  factors  which  have  made  the  problem  of  high- 
way construction  and  maintenance  difficult,  intricate  and  of 
nation-wide  importance.  In  the  early  days,  when  each  farm 
or  plantation  was  a  community  unto  itself,  the  highway  was 
a  purely  local  convenience.  Even  in  comparatively  modern 
times,  when  large  cities  were  few  and  far  between,  and  when 
animal  power  limited  the  radius  of  traffic  to  30  or  40  miles 
at  the  most  for  a  day's  journey,  the  roads  were  still  of  local 
importance  primarily,  although  in  a  larger  sense  than  in 
the  Colonial  days. 

The  automobile  has  tremendously  increased  the  radius  of 
travel.  It  has  linked  city  and  country  together;  it  has  made 
township  and  county  and  even  state  lines  sentimental  boun- 
daries which  have  lost  their  economic  importance.  The 
crowding  of  millions  of  our  people  in  cities  has  made  the 
public  highway  in  the  most  remote  rural  districts  of  vital 
importance  to  the  cities,  because  the  farmers  must  feed  the 
cities.  Parallel  with  this  need  of  the  city  for  the  product  of 
the  country  has  come  the  need  of  the  country  dweller  for 
the  manufactured  products  of  the  city,  and  so  there  has  been 
woven  by  the  shuttle  of  mutual  need  in  this  wonderful  age 
of  invention  and  progress  a  network  of  interdependence  in 
which  the  public  highway  has  become  an  essential  part  of 
the  very  fabric  of  our  social  and  industrial  life. 

Inseparably  linked  with  these  great  functional  problems  of 


26  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

the  public  highways  are  the  physical  problems  which  motor 
traffic  and  the  movement  of  a  vast  tonnage  of  products  to 
and  from  the  centers  of  population  have  given  rise.  The 
growth  of  the  motor  vehicle  industry  has  been  not  merely 
rapid,  it  has  been  stupendous.  It  seems  but  yesterday  since 
the  awkward  one-cylinder  cars  drove  frightened  horses  into 
the  ditches,  and  yet  today  it  is  probably  not  overestimating 
to  say  that  there  are  over  two  and  one-quarter  million  auto- 
mobiles in  the  United  States.  This  phenomenal  traffic  came 
suddenly  upon  thousands  of  miles  of  water  bound  macadam 
and  gravel  roads  which  had  been  built  to  meet  the  older 
forms  of  traffic.  The  systems  of  maintenance  in  effect  were 
inadequate  and  utterly  broke  down  under  this  new  burden. 
The  result  was  that  by  the  time  legislatures  awoke  to  the 
necessity  of  providing  adequate  money  and  organization, 
their  roads  had  deteriorated  to  such  an  extent  that  in  many 
cases  resurfacing  was  necessary.  Maintenance  cost  in- 
creased at  an  alarming  rate.  Where  formerly  $100  per  mile 
was  considered  sufficient  for  a  water  bound  macadam  road, 
it  quickly  jumped  to  $250,  then  to  $350,  to  $500  and  $750, 
and  in  some  states  it  has  been  estimated  that  $1,000  per 
mile  per  annum  is  necessary  for  maintenance.  As  a  result 
of  these  startling  changes  for  maintenance,  a  considerable 
degree  of  discouragement  has  arisen,  for  the  taxpayer  does 
not  like  to  feel  that  he  must  not  only  spend  a  large  sum 
of  money  for  construction,  but  must  thereafter  put  up  from 
$500  to  $1,000  a  mile  to  keep  his  road  in  good  condition. 
Right  here  let  me  emphasize  the  fact  that  these  excessive 
costs  are  not  strictly  maintenance  costs,  but  rather  repair 
and  reconstruction  costs,  as  well  as  extraordinary  mainte- 
nance due  to  tardiness  in  meeting  the  heavy  traffic  wear. 
Gradually  we  are  adapting  ourselves  to  the  new  conditions, 
and  the  result  should  be  a  considerable  reduction  in  the  cost 
of  maintenance  per  mile.  As  an  incident  to  the  modern 
problem,  brick,  concrete,  and  improved  bituminous  surfaces 
have  come  into  prominence.  I  will  not  undertake  to  enter 
into  the  discussion  of  the  relative  merits  of  each  type  of 
highways,  but  it  must  be  generally  recognized  that  we  can 
no  longer  follow  the  short-sighted  policy  of  building  high- 
ways without  consideration  of  the  problem  of  maintenance. 
It  is  not  so  much  what  a  highway  costs  today  as  what  it 
will  cost  in  the  aggregate  in  ten  years,  or  twenty  years. 

The  basic  proposition  upon  which  our  road  building  and 
maintenance  in  this  country  must  ultimately  rest  is  that  the 
character  of  the  road  and  the  amount  of  money  expended  for 
its  construction  and  maintenance  must  be  determined  by  the 
service  which  the  road  renders.  For  example,  it  may  be 
genuine  economy  to  spend  $20,000  on  one  road  and  only 
$2,000  on  another  road,  because  in  the  former  case  the  ser- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  27 

vice  rendered  may  be  ten  times  the  service  rendered  in  the 
latter  case.  We  have  in  this  country  some  two  and  one- 
quarter  million  miles  of  road.  We  know  that  in  every  com- 
munity, in  every  county,  and  in  every  state  all  traffic  flows 
from  feeders  and  little  neighborhood  roads  into  the  main 
highways  that  lead  to  the  markets  and  shipping  points  and 
connect  the  centers  of  population.  It  is  a  conservative  esti- 
mate to  say  that  these  highways  do  not  aggregate  one- 
quarter  of  the  total  mileage.  A  great  many  million  dollars 
of  highway  expenditures  have  i>een  unproductive  in  this 
country  through  undue  parsimony  in  the  improvement  of 
the  main  heavily  traveled  highways  and  lavish  extravagance 
in  the  improvement  of  highways  which  have  little  or  no 
economic  importance. 

The  taxpayers  should  awaken  to  the  full  realization  of 
the  fact  that  the  taxes  which  they  pay  into  the  public  treas- 
uries for  public  road  improvement  should  in  the  interest  of 
the  taxpayers  be  subjected  to  the  same  sort  of  business  man- 
agement and  business  expediency  that  make  for  success  in 
private  enterprise.  The  average  taxpayer  pays  his  taxes 
and  thereby  relieves  himself  of  what  he  considers  a  burden. 
He  loses  all  interest  in  the  further  disposition  of  his  tax 
money,  except  to  complain  from  year  to  year  of  the  small 
return  which  he  has  received  for  his  outlay.  Legislatures 
are  supposed  to  be  the  servants  of  the  people,  and  if  the 
people  who  pay  taxes  insist  that  their  legislatures  provide 
for  the  management  of  the  county's  public  works  an  ade- 
quate and  responsible  organization,  and  an  intelligent  system 
for  the  expenditure  of  road  funds,  the  proper  laws  would  be 
forthcoming  and  the  wastefulness  and  inefficiency  which  has 
marked  our  previous  experience  in  highway  improvement 
would  be  largely  corrected.  Before  undertaking  any  gen- 
eral scheme  of  improvement,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  county  to 
have  traffic  studies  made  of  its  roads,  so  as  to  determine 
the  order  and  measure  of  their  importance  and  the  char- 
acter of  construction  which  should  be  adopted  to  meet  the 
traffic  requirements  as  indicated  by  such  study.  The  ton- 
nage and  the  average  haul  on  each  road  afford  a  unit  of 
measurement  known  as  the  ton-mile,  and  the  total  ton  mile- 
age, present  and  prospective,  of  the  road  will  indicate  its 
relative  importance  for  modern  purposes.  This  can  well 
be  done  by  ascertaining  for  each  road  the  land  area  and 
the  acreage  yield  of  the  zone  from  which  it  would  draw  its 
tonnage  of  freight  traffic.  When  the  relative  importance 
of  the  road  for  the  transportation  of  the  farm  products  to 
the  shipping  point  is  known,  the  character  and  amount  of 
the  outgoing  traffic  on  the  road  from  the  centers  of  popula- 
tion should  be  determined.  The  incoming  and  outgoing 
traffic  will  thus  measure  the  market  importance  of  the  re- 


28  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

spective  highways.  If  the  road  is  of  importance  for  pleasure 
travel  or  is  a  link  in  an  important  through  highway,  a  heavy 
expenditure  for  improvement  may  be  justified  aside  from  a 
local  economic  consideration,  but  Certainly  some  such  in- 
telligent method  would  be  infinitely  preferable  to  the  pres- 
ent method  of  laying  out  a  system  of  roads  that  will  reach 
all  sections  from  a  geographic  standpoint  and  will  provide 
a  uniform  construction  regardless  of  the  relative  traffic  im- 
portance of  the  roads  to  be  improved.  Aside  from  this  in- 
telligent selection  of  locations  and  types,  I  believe  that  there 
is  a  positive  need  for  a  centralized  control  and  a  highly 
skilled  supervision  on  the  part  of  an  agency  of  the  state, 
particularly  with  reference  .to  the  design  and  inspection  of 
highway  bridges,  the  expenditure  of  large  local  bond  issues, 
the  handling  of  local  funds  for  highway  work  as  to  systems 
of  accounting  and  cost  keeping,  and  finally  as  to  the  quali- 
fications of  the  men  locally  selected  to  carry  on  road  work. 
The  trend  for  th'e  past  ten  years  has  been  distinctly  in  these 
directions,  and  I  believe  that  ultimately  we  shall  have  a 
compact  and  efficient  county  organization  and  compulsory 
selection  and  improvement  of  roads  according  to  their  traffic 
importance  and  finally  correlation  and  executive  and  tech- 
nical skill  through  the  medium  of  a  state  supervision,  such 
as  I  have  just  outlined. 

In  the  financing  of  road  improvement  there  is  a  growing 
tendency  to  rush  hastily  into  debt  through  the  issuance  of 
long  term  bonds  for  the  building  of  roads  for  which  no  ade- 
quate maintenance  provision  is  made.  These  conditions  are 
peculiar  to  county  work  rather  than  state  work.  The  evils 
of  long  term  bonds  for  short  term  utilities  have  been  dealt 
with  by  many  authorities  on  the  subject,  and  I  will  only 
reiterate  my  belief  that  the  solution  of  this  problem  wiU 
come  through  the  placing  of  adequate  power  to  supervise 
and  regulate  county  bond  issues  in  the  hands  of  a  centralized 
state  highway  department. 

On  the  whole,  great  progress  has  been  made  in  recent 
years  from  the  construction  standpoint,  lesser  progress  in 
providing  adequate  maintenance,  while  the  trend  toward 
centralizing  control  of  the  more  important  feature  of  high- 
way work  is  just  now  becoming  noticeable  in  an  encourag- 
ing degree. 


CHAIRMAN  PRATT:  I  want  to  announce  that  the  com- 
mittee on  credentials  will  meet  in  Room  200,  Hotel  Oakland, 
at  the  close  of  this  session,  and  I  wish  all  the  delegates  would 
leave  their  credentials  at  the  registration  bureau  so  they 
can  be  collected  and  referred  to  the  committee  on  cre- 
dentials. 

Is  there  any  discussion  on  this  paper  by  Mr.  Page?     We 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  29 

have  got  a  limited  amount  of  time  that  has  been  allotted 
for  discussion  of  these  several  papers.  Any  one  who  wishes 
to  can  take  part  in  the  discussion  of  Mr.  Page's  paper. 

There  is  just  one  point  I  would  like  to  bring  out  in  con- 
nection with  that,  because  it  has  been  one  that  has  been 
affecting  us  in  North  Carolina  to  a  considerable  degree, 
and  that  is  the  question  of  making  provision  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  roads  after  they  have  been  constructed.  We 
have  been  working  on  and  expect  to  pass  at  the  next  ses- 
sion of  our  General  Assembly  a  law  that  will  prohibit  any 
county,  township  or  the  state  from  issuing  bonds  for  the 
construction  of  roads  unless  a  law  authorizing  the  issue  of 
the  bonds  contains  a  clause  or  section  that  will  mean  the 
upkeep  and  maintenance  of  those  roads  after  they  are  con- 
structed. We  believe  that  law  will  be  passed.  Several  of 
the  bills  that  were  passed  by  the  recent  general  assembly 
pertaining  to  the  authorization  of  bonds  contain  such  a 
clause.  The  counties  issuing  the  bonds  make  it  obligatory 
upon  the  commissioners  that  they  shall  levy  a  sufficient  tax 
to  give  them  money  enough  to  maintain  the  roads  after  they 
are  built,  and  that  money  cannot  be  used  for  any  other 
purpose.  If  it  is  used  for  any  other  purpose  the  commission- 
ers are  liable  for  the  amount.  Is  there  no  discussion  on  this 
paper? 

C.  A.  KENYON  (Indiana):  That  is  such  an  important 
thing  that  I  would  like  to  make  one  remark,  more  in  the 
form  of  inquiry  than  discussion.  I  have  frequently  had 
county  officers  inquire  how  we  can  provide  for  maintenance 
not  only  for  this  year  but  for  next  year  and  the  year  after. 
We  are  officers  to-day.  We  are  providing  for  the  high- 
way. We  are  willing  to  provide  for  it  next  year,  but  we  are 
out  of  office  next  year  and  new  officers  are  in.  They  pledge 
to  their  constituents  economy  and  they  say  we  can't  go  any 
farther.  Therefore  we  want  to  provide  for  an  amount  which 
the  engineers  think  necessary  to  keep*  up  these  roads.  The 
result  is  that  the  roads,  because  of  this  peculiar  system,  go 
into  decay.  What  legal  means  can  you  use  to  force  future 
action  of  county  commissioners  and  others  to  make  a  levy 
to  take  care  of  those  roads? 

MR.  ROY  (Washington):  In  our  state  at  the  last  meet- 
ing of  our  general  assembly  we  made  the  same  levy  as 
we  did  for  the  preceding  year,  but  we  provided  in  that  law 
five  per  cent,  for  permanent  highways  should  be  set  aside 
for  maintenance;  for  the  public  highway  seven  and  one- 
half  per  cent,  should  be  set  aside  for  maintenance;  and  at 
the  next  general  assembly  we  hope  to  raise  that  to  ten  per 
cent.,  to  take  care  of  the  coming  needs  of  the  roads  con- 
structed a  number  of  years  before. 

CHAIRMAN   PRATT:   Is  there   any  further  discussion? 


30  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

W.  H.  REED:  Of  course  there  is  the  danger  of  a  lack 
of  maintenance  of  roads  if  it  is  not  provided  for  in  advance, 
but  as  an  offset  to  that  there  is  always  the  pressure  of 
tke  public  that  is  using  the  roads.  If  the  roads  are  in  bad 
condition  the  public  is  sure  to  come  before  the  county  com- 
missioners and  call  their  attention  to  the  horrible  condition 
of  those  roads.  If  those  men  are  to  maintain  their  offices 
that  pressure  will  be  sufficient  to  care  for  the  maintenance. 
On  this  paper  which  has  just  been  read  I  was  struck  with 
the  point  that  was  made  of  the  importance  of  not  giving  a 
large  amount  of  money  without  knowing  where  it  is  going. 
The  tendency  in  road  building  is  first  to  determine  what 
type  of  road  shall  be  built.  After  determining  that  you 
must  decide  whether  you  will  build  that  type  on  trunk  lines 
and  everywhere.  The  tendency  with  politicians  representing 
a  certain  district  is  to  put  as  much  money  into  their  par- 
ticular district  as  possible.  That  does  not  represent  the 
county.  That  is  the  serious  hardship. 

CHAIRMAN  PRATT:  Any  other  discussion?  We  have 
a  minute  or  two. 

A.  D.  GASH:  On  this  question  of  maintenance  I  would 
like  to  speak  for  just  a  moment.  In  Illinois  we  provide  for 
state  aid.  The  state  aid  for  building  the  main  thoroughfares 
is  for  fifteen  per  cent,  of  the  mileage  in  counties  of  the 
first  class,  twenty  per  cent,  in  counties  of  the  second  class, 
and  twenty-five  per  cent,  in  counties  of  the  third  class. 
These  are  called  state  aid  roads.  They  are  laid  in  all  the 
counties  and  are  built  with  funds  one-half  from  the  state 
and  one-half  from  the  county.  It  is  designed  to  have  main 
thoroughfares  connecting  all  of  the  trading  points  of  the 
state  and  reaching  within  four  miles  and  a  half  of  every 
home.  Thirty  per  cent,  of  our  citizens  reside  on  the  high- 
way and  when  these  thoroughfares  are  completed  seventy- 
five  per  cent,  will  reside  within  ^one  mile  and  along  the 
highway.  Section  thiPty-two  of  the  law,  and  I  believe  it  is 
one  of  the  best  laws  that  has  been  passed  in  any  of  the 
states  of  the  United  States,  provides  that  when  these  roads 
are  once  constructed  at  the  expense  of  the  county  and  the 
state,  that  the  state  will  forever  maintain  them.  Now  it  is 
of  course  certain  that  the  present  legislature  can't  provide 
the  means  for  all  time,  but  it  is  the  intention  of  the  law  and 
it  is,  as  I  take  it,  a  compact  between  the  various  counties 
and  the  state  when  once  the  county  has  put  in  its  one- 
half  that  the  state  legislature  will  provide  the  means  for 
keeping  these  roads  up  .when  they  are  once  constructed  in 
a  permanent  manner,  keeping  them  up  to  the  highest  stand- 
ard after  they  are  once  constructed  in  the  various  counties. 
I  believe  that  that  is  the  best  method  of  maintenance — to 
have  an  understanding  between  the  counties  that  go  in  on 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  31 

the  construction.  The  last  legislature  provided  that  the 
various  counties  may  bond  the  counties  and  build  the  roads 
under  the  supervision  of  the  state  highway  commission 
and  according  to  their  plans  and  specifications,  and  the 
state  may  then  take  those  roads  over  and  forever  main- 
tain them  and  their  part  of  the  apportionment  of  the  aid 
money  may  go  to  retire  the  bonds.  It  might  be  well  on 
that  point  of  maintenance  to  look  at  the  Illinois  law  be- 
cause it  is  a  good  one. 

LAMAR  COBB  (Arizona):  Mr.  Chairman,  I  think  we 
are  seeking  the  will-o'-the-wisp  when  we  are  seeking  some 
law  that  will  compel  maintenance.  The  only  solution  of 
that  question  is  the  education  of  the  people  as  to  their  ne- 
cessity. Those  in  charge  of  highway  improvement  should 
furnish  the  people  with  more  data  relative  to  the  proposed 
cost  of  maintenance.  In  the  past  I  don't  believe  that  the 
highway  authorities  in  the  states  have  furnished  the  public 
with  sufficient  information  on  the  cost  of  maintenance.  The 
reason  I  say  T  think  we  are  seeking  the  will-o'-the-wisp  is 
because  some  roads  improved  by  a  bond  issue  will  last  fifty 
or  a  hundred  years  and  there  is  no  possible  way  of  provid- 
ing a  law  that  a  legislative  body  -has  got  to  provide  funds  to 
maintain  those  roads.  As  I  say,  the  only  possible  way  is 
to  keep  impressing  upon  the  public  the  necessity  for  main- 
tenance and  advising  them  of  the  cost  of  such  maintenance. 
(Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  PRATT:  fhe  next  object  *ee  rill  *ke  jp 
is  "The  Relation  of  the  Road  to  Rail  and  Water  Transpor- 
tation." This  subject  is  to  be  discussed  by  Mr.  C.  J.  Tilden, 
Professor  of  Civil  Engineering,  Johns  Hopkins  University. 


The  Relation  of  the  Road  to  Rail  and  Water  Transportation 

By  C.  J.  TILDEN 
Professor  of  Civil  Engineering,  Johns  Hopkins  University 

The  rapid  growth,  in  recent  years,  of  the  automobile 
industry,*  has  concentrated  attention  on  so-called  pleasure 
traffic,  and  the  public  demand,  so  far  as  highways  are  con- 
cerned, has  been  most  insistent  for  roads  especially  con- 
structed to  serve  this  new  form  of  pleasure  and  excitement. 
The  call  is  not  only  for  hard  roads,  they  must  be  smooth  and 
dustless  as  well,  and,  even  more  important,  must  furnish 
long  distance  routings  and  permit,  of  rapid  travel  between 
widely  separated  cities  and  towns.  It  might  seem,  some- 
times, that  the  more  modest  service  road,  with  no  preten- 
sions to  the  development  of  speed  and  seeking  only  to  help 
in  the  never-ending  task  of  bringing  that  which  men  need 
in  daily  life  from  the  source  to  the  point  of  consumption,  is 
not  getting  its  share  of  attention.  There  is  nothing  incon- 


32  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

sistent,   however,   in   developing  highway   systems   for  both 
purposes,  and  often  one  road  may  and  does  serve  both  ends. 

The  necessity  of  a  highway  system,  or  at  least  a  series  of 
roads  in  connection  with  any  system  of  transportation  by 
rail  or  water  or  both,  is  too  obvious  to  need  discussion. 
The  great  importance  of  this  relationship,  however,  is  ample 
excuse  for  giving  it  at  least  brief  consideration.  Especially 
since  the  motor  car  has  come  into  use  in  rural  communities, 
the  roads  to  and  from  railroad  centers  and  canal  stops  must 
be  harder  and  better  built,  and  this  means,  of  course,  cheaper 
transportation  to  and  from  the  main  lines  of  traffic.  Further- 
more, better  roads  mean  greater  speed  as  well  as  carrying 
power  both  for  motor  vehicles  and  those  drawn  by  horses, 
and  the  roads  may  therefore  be  longer,  thus  making  more 
distant  localities  available  for  profitable  production.  A 
railroad  without  highways  to  serve  it  might  as  well  run 
through  the  desert,  and  the  better  these  service  roads  are 
the  richer  is  the  community  and  the  better  able  it  is  to 
serve  those  who  use  its  products. 

The  experiments  in  highway  building  which  the  national 
government  and  various  state  highway  departments  are 
trying,  and  the  many  demonstrations  they  are  making  of 
different  kinds  of  construction,  furnish  most  valuable  infor- 
mation to  any  locality  in  need  of  roads.  This  information 
is  generally  available  in  such  excellent  shape  that  there  is 
little  excuse  for  poor  roads  in  any  public-spirited  com- 
munity. The  main  thing  is  to  find  that  type  of  road  which 
fits  not  only  the  needs  but  resources  of  the  particular  com- 
munity, then  build  the  roads  well  and  maintain  them  with 
due  care. 

There  is,  however,  one  other  point  in  regard  to  building 
roads  that  are  to  be  primarily  a  part  of  a  general  trans- 
portation system,  which  is  perhaps  worthy  of  note.  A  rail- 
road is  a  private  corporation,  built  to  make  money  and  pay 
dividends  on  the  investment.  The  actual  acres  of  land 
forming  the  right  of  way  as  well  as  the  track,  rolling  stock 
and  other  material  are  all  private  property.  On  the  other 
hand,  highways  are,  with  very  few  exceptions  in  the  United 
States,  public  property,  built  with  public  funds  and  main- 
tained at  public  expense  by  means  of  some  form  of  direct  or 
indirect  taxation.  The  individual  user  of  a  road  does  not 
pay  any  direct  fee,  other  than  general  taxes,  for  that  use. 
What  he  does  pay  is  not  in  the  nature  of  a  tariff  on  the 
amount  and  frequency  of  his  shipments,  as  is  the  case  with 
his  payments  to  the  railway  companies,  but  may  bear  no 
relation  whatever  to  his  use,  as  a  shipper,  of  the  highway 
facilities.  There  is  thus  a  fundamental  dffference  between 
the  economic  foundation  of  a  railway  line  and  the  economic 
foundation  of  the  road  or  system  of  roads  which  is  needed 
to  serve  that  railway. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  19 

Whether  or  not  this  situation  has  any  serious  effect  on 
the  proper  and  normal  development  of  a  general  transporta- 
tion system  would  seem  to  be  an  economic  rather  than  an 
engineering  question.  Certainly  the  writer  does  not  feel 
competent  to  offer  any  solution  of  the  problem.  But  this 
simple  statement  of  the  situation  is  made  in  the  belief  that 
further  discussion  may  be  desirable,  and  that  any  system 
of  transportation  should  be  planned  and  developed  in  its 
entirety  rather  than  piecemeal  in  order  to  give  the  highest 
value  at  once  to  the  localities  it  is  designed  to  serve. 


CHAIRMAN  PRATT:  The  next  subject  is  "The  Benefits 
and  Burdens  of  Better  Roads,"  by  Mr.  S.  E.  Bradt,  Secretary 
of  the  State  Highway  Commission  of  Illinois. 

S.  E.  BRADT:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 
I  think  I  am  safe  in  saying  that  some  phase  of  this  subject 
which  has  been  assigned  to  me  is  discussed  in  every  speech 
that  is  made,  every  article  that  is  printed  on  the  subject 
of  good  roads,  and  I  guess  I  could  go  further  and  say  in 
almost  every  conversation,  and  yet  it  seems  to  be  a  burning 
question.  It  seems  to  be  of  greater  importance  and  of 
greater  interest  from  day  to  day  and  you  all  realize  it  is  too 
large  to  be  discussed  in  one  paper  even  of  this  thickness. 


The  Benefits  and  Burdens  of  Better  Roads 

By  S.  E.  BRADT 
Secretary,    Illinois   State   Highway   Commission. 

Without  doubt,  the  great  majority  of  the  people  are  in 
favor  of  better  roads;  the  disagreement  comes  when  they 
consider  the  degree  of  betterment,  which  is  the  determin- 
ing factor  in  the  amount  of  the  burden  it  will  impose  upon 
the  community.  It  is  my  purpose  in  this  paper  to  show 
that  if  we  have  the  correct  type  of  road  construction  and 
if  the  cost  is  properly  distributed,  the  burden  will  rest  lightly 
upon  all  and  will  be  small  in  comparison  to  the  benefits. 

Good  Roads  the  Concern  of  All 

Road  improvement  is  fundamentally  an  economic  problem 
and  affects  either  directly  or  indirectly  our  entire  citizenship, 
regardless  of  whether  its  members  live  in  the  country,  the 
town  or  the  crowded  city;  regardless  of  whether  they  drive 
a  pleasure  car,  a  lumber  wagon,  or  walk  the  streets  of  the 
tenement  district.  The  greatest  direct  benefits  will  come  to 
the  users  of  the  road;  but  in  each  instance  there  are  indirect 
benefits  reaching  a  greater  number  of  people,  and  hence  of 
greater  importance  finally  than  the  direct  benefits. 

For  our  purpose  we  will  classify  the  users  of  the  road  as 
follows: 


-84  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

I.     The  Farmer: 

(a)  in   hauling   his   surplus   products   to   the   shipping 
point,  or  direct  to  the  consumer.     (This  traffic  at 
the  present  time  is  largely  horse-drawn,  but,  with 
a    better    road    system,    will    gradually    change    to 
motor-driven.) 

(b)  in  carrying  his   children  to   school,  his  family  to 
church  or  to  the  city  entertainment. 

II.  The  Lumberman  or  the  Mine  Owner: 

(a)  in  hauling  his  product  to  the  shipping  point. 

(This  traffic  is  decreasing,  as  competition  forces 
the  elimination  of  the  expense  of  hauling  by 
bringing  the  railroad  nearer.) 

III.  The  Business  Man: 

(a)  in  saving  his  time. 

(b)  in  lessening  upkeep. 

(This  traffic  is  now  largely  motor-driven.) 

IV.  The  Tourist: 

interpreted  here  to  mean  all  travellers  for  recre- 
ation, whether  to  the  adjacent  town  or  across  the 
continent. 

(This  traffic  is  mainly  motor-driven.) 

Let  us  look  at  some  of  the  benefits  to  these  four  classes 
more  in  detail,  and  also  note  some  of  their  indirect  influ- 
ences: -.-- 

I  and  II — Benefit  to  the  Fanner,  Lumberman  and  Mine  Owner  in 
Hauling  Products 

The  entire  surplus  production  of  the  farm  and  many  of 
the  products  of  the  forest  and  mine  must  first  be  hauled 
over  our  country  roads  to  the  shipping  point.  The  Office 
of  Public  Roads  estimates  the  cost  of  this  hauling  at  not 
less  than  $500,000,000  annually.  It  further  estimates  that 
improved  roads  would  reduce  this  cost  one-half;  which 
would  result  in  a  saving  of  $250,000,000  annually. 

Indirect  Gain  to  All  People.— While  this  gain  of  $250,000,- 
000  would  be  a  direct  benefit  to  the  farmer,  the  lumberman 
and  the  mine  owner,  it  would  be  an  indirect  gain  to  the  en- 
tire people.  The  carrying  of  these  products  to  the  shipping 
point  is  as  much  a  factor  in  distribution  as  is  carrying  it  from 
the  shipping  point  to  the  consumer.  The  people  are  quick 
to  recognize  that  any  increase  in  freight  rates  means  an  in- 
crease in  the  price  of  commodities,  but  have  failed  to  real- 
ize that  the  cost  of  hauling  to  the  railway  station  is  equally 
a  factor  in  their  cost  and  hence  in  the  cost  of  living.  Freight 
rates  have  been  reduced  since  1837  nearly  90  per  cent.,  but 
during  that  time  there  has  been  practically  no  reduction  in 
the  cost  of  highway  transportation.  The  reason  for  this  is 
that  railroads  have  been  constructed  and  operated  from  the 
standpoint  of  paying  interest  and  dividends,  which  has 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  15. 

forced  systematic  and  economic  management;  whereas  our 
highways,  because  of  our  failure  to  appreciate  their  eco- 
nomic importance,  have  been  neglected  and  the  limited 
amount  of  work  expended  upon  them  has  been  unsystem- 
matic,  uneconomical  and  without  satisfactory  returns. 

Benefit  to  City  Residents. — An  indirect  benefit  of  no 
small  consequence  accrues  hereby  to  the  resident  of  the  city 
in  the  delivery  of  the  products  of  the  farm  and  truck  garden 
direct  from  producer  to  consumer.  This  means  not  only 
more  palatable  food,  but  food  that  is  more  sanitary  as  well. 

Benefit  to  the  Farmer's  Family  Educationally. — The  inac- 
cessibility of  the  country  school  for  several  months  of  the 
year  due  to  impassable  roads  is  one  of  the  great  drawbacks 
to  country  life.  Another  drawback  is  the  small  school  dis- 
trict supported  by  a  few  farmers  and  with  a  small  number  of 
children  and  a  small  assessed  valuation  from  which  to  col- 
lect taxes  for  its  support.  This  results  in  a  low  salaried 
teacher,  conducting  a  poor  school  with  poorer  surround- 
ings. 

Consolidated  School. — The  solution  of  this  problem  lies  in 
the  consolidated  rural  school,  specializing  in  the  agricultural 
branches  which  will-  give  the  pupils  an  insight  into  the  prob- 
lems of  the  farm  and  inspire  them  with  the  wonderful  op- 
portunity for  the  improvement  of  farm  life,  financially,  so- 
cially and  mentally.  Better  roads  will  mean  more  consol- 
idated schools  and  larger  units  of  consolidation  which  will 
give  more  funds  and  greater  school  facilities,  or  will  mean 
access  to  the  city  schools  without  leaving  the  farm. 

Social  Advantages. — Again,  the  farmer  will  receive  a  direct 
benefit  from  good  roads  in  the  increase  of  social  and  relig- 
ious advantages.  The  lack  of  these  is  felt  most  keenly  by 
the  wife  and  children  and  is  often  the  determining  factor 
in  the  decision  of  the  boy  and  the  girl  to  leave  the  farm. 
This  is  traceable  directly  to  road  conditions  which  gener- 
ally keep  them  at  home  for  several  months  during  the  win- 
ter and  spring,  and  can  be  overcome  only  through  improving 
the  roads  so  that  the  country  church  and  the  city  entertain- 
ments are  accessible  at  all  seasons. 

Dependence  Upon  Farmer. — Both  educationally  and  so- 
cially the  farmer  would  receive  the  greatest  direct  advan- 
tage from  road  improvement,  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  no  one  class  of  our  citizens  can  improve  themselves 
financially,  educationally,  socially  or  religiously  without  in- 
directly benefiting  every  other  class  of  our  citizens.  This  is 
doubly  true  of  the  farmer.  People  have  lived  without  the 
merchant,  the  manufacturer  or  the  banker  and  could  do  so 
again,  but  the  failure  of  the  farmer  to  produce  his  annual 
crop  would  mean  starvation.  A  partial  failure  would  mean 
higher  prices  and  unsatisfied  hunger  for  some.  As  popula- 


36  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

tion  increases  we  must  have  a  constantly  increasing  food  sup- 
ply. Adding  to  the  educational  and  social  advantages  of 
farm  life  means  more  attractive  farms,  more  farmers,  greater 
efficiency,  as  well  as  more  permanency  in  production,  a  larger 
and  hence  a  cheaper  food  supply. 

Improved  Surroundings. — Outside  of  the  tangible  bene- 
fits to  the  farmer  already  enumerated  there  are  others  not  so 
evident.  As  a  man  tears  down  the  old  house  and  builds  in  its 
place  a  modern  one,  not  that  he  will  make,  money  by  the 
transaction  but  that  he  will  add  to  the  comfort,  the  pleas- 
ure and  satisfaction  of  himself  and  his  family,  so  will  he 
for  the  same  reason  advocate  and  stand  ready  to  pay  his 
share  of  the  cost  of  a  better  road.  The  better  road  and  the 
automobile  combined  with  the  modern  house,  the  telephone 
and  the  free  delivery  of  mail,  the  consolidated  school,  the 
resuscitated  country  church,  will  make  the  farm  home  an  at- 
tractive place  for  the  boy  and  the  girl,  for  the  father  and 
mother.  This  combination  will  not  only  check  the  farm  to 
city  movement,  but  will  make  the  "back  to  the  farm  move- 
ment" a  practical  possibility. 

Ill— The  Business  Man 

We  have  considered  the  benefit  to  the  farmer,  the  lumber- 
man and -the  mine  owner  as  users  of  the  road.  Now  let  us 
look  at  the  benefit  to  the  business  man  from  the  same  stand- 
point. In  these  days  we  have  come  to  measure  distance 
more  by  minutes  and  hours  than  by  miles.  The  saving  of 
time  to  the  business  man  is  often  the  difference  between  suc- 
cess and  failure.  In  this  saving  of  time  the  automobile  is 
one  of  his  most  useful  agents,  and  the  better  the  road  the 
greater  is  its  usefulness  to  him. 

IV— The   Tourist 

The  benefit  of  road  improvement  to  the  tourist  as  a  user 
of  the  road  is  self-evident;  and  to  attract  and  hold  the  tour- 
ist we  must  have  good  roads.  We  have  the  expanse  of  ter- 
ritory, the  scenic  effects  and  the  historic  spots.  We  lack 
only  the  improved  roads  to  make  this  country  the  mecca  for 
the  tourists  of  the  world. 

The  indirect  benefit  of  this  traffic  to  the  United  States  is 
the  expenditure  of  millions  of  dollars  at  home  rather  than  in 
foreign  countries. 

The  Automobile  Owner. — To  convey  some  idea  of  the  di- 
rect benefit  of  improved  roads  to  automobile  owners  I  would 
call  attention  to  the  fact  that  there  are  over  2,000,000  auto- 
mobiles in  use  in  the  United  States  today  and  they  are  be- 
ing manufactured  at  the  rate  of  over  500,000  annually.  It 
is  a  conservative  estimate  to  say  that  a  system  of  improved 
roads  would  mean  a  saving  to  the  owners  in  tires,  repairs, 
and  gasoline  of  not  less  than  $50  per  car  per  year,  or  a  total 
of  $100,000,000  annually  on  the  cars  now  in  use. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  87 

Let  us  summarize  some  of  the  benefits.  Better  roads  will 
mean:  Better  farmers,  greater  farm  efficiency,  less  tenancy, 
larger  production,  higher  land  values,  cheaper  distribution, 
cheaper  commodities,  purer  milk,  fresher  vegetables,  less  gas- 
oline, less  tire  trouble,  better  rural  schools,  better  school  at- 
tendance, better  social  conditions,  better  rural  churches, 
more  attractive  rural  homes,  more  boys  staying  on  the  farm, 
more  girls  marrying  farmer  boys,  more  sociability,  better  cit- 
izenship. 

For  the  business  man  they  will  mean  more  time  for  work 
and  more  time  for  play  with  lessened  expense  in  maintain- 
ing his  machine;  and  for  the  tourist  more  places  of  beauty 
and  historic  interest  to  visit  and  greater  comfort  in  visiting 
them. 

The  Burdens  of  Better  Roads 

The  question  now  arises,  are  the  benefits  worth  the  cost? 
Fortunately,  the  answer  to  this  question  has  not  been  left  to 
us.  The  American  people  have  already  answered  it  in  the 
affirmative.  The  people  as  a  whole  stand  for  progress  and 
without  doubt  road  improvement  is  to  be  one  of  the  greatest 
factors  in  national  progress.  In  some  sections  of  the  coun- 
try, however,  owing  to  the  fact  that  local  legislation  fails  to 
place  the  burden  of  taxation  in  the  proper  place,  or  does  not 
afford  proper  facilities  for  the  equitable  financing  of  the  bur- 
den, the  work  is  advancing  slowly. 

In  discussing  the  burdens  I  shall  consider:  1,  the  size  of 
the  burdens;  2,  who  shall  carry  them?  3,  how  can  they  be 
carried? 

Mileage  to  Be  Improved. — We  have  in  the  United  States 
approximately  2,200,000  miles  of  highways.  By  relocation 
and  eliminating  the  unnecessary  sections  this  would  be  easily 
reduced  to  less  than  2,000,000  miles.  Of  this  2,000,000  miles 
some  240,000  are  already  improved,  leaving  1,760,000  miles 
to  be  improved. 

Cost  Depending  on  Conditions. — What  it  will  cost  to  im- 
prove this  1,760,000  miles  depends  chiefly  upon  the  type. 
This  in  turn  should  be  determined  by  the  amount  and  kind 
of  traffic.  Investigation  has  shown  that  20  per  cent,  of  our 
roads  carry  approximately  80  per  cent,  of  the  traffic.  It, 
therefore,  follows  that  this  20  per  cent,  should  be  built  of 
a  more  permanent,  hence  more  costly  type,  than  the  remain- 
ing 80  per  cent.  It  is  also  true  that  there  is  a  large  varia- 
tion of  traffic  on  the  different  sections  of  this  20  per  cent,  of 
the  system,  which  would  mean  a  considerable  variation  in 
type  and  width,  hence  in  cost  of  construction.  From  the 
foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  to  determine  the  cost  of  a 
system  of  roads  over  a  given'  area,  there  should  be  a  study 
of  the  local  conditions  in  each  section  of  the  area.  This 
survey  should  include  a  count  showing  the  number  and  kind 


88  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

of  vehicles  with  approximate  loads,  the  population  of  the 
tributary  territory,  the  industries  of  the  locality  and  avail- 
able road  building  material.  I  have  no  knowledge  of  any 
large  section  where  such  a  survey  has  been  made,  and,  hence, 
in  order  to  give  any  figures  that  would  indicate  the  approxi- 
mate burdens  of  better  roads,  it  is  necessary  to  rely  upon  es- 
timates. 

Illinois  as  An  Illustration. — For  this  purpose  I  shall  take 
the  State  of  Illinois.  Many  of  the  states  having  state  aid 
in  road  work  have  laid  out  a  system  of  through  routes,  and 
main  market  roads  comprising  from  10  to  20  per  cent,  of 
their  total  mileage.  Illinois  has  such  a  system  which  in- 
cludes about  16,000  miles  (17  per  cent,  of  the  total  94,000 
miles).  Local  officials  report  that  of  the  94,000  miles  9,000 
are  improved.  We  will  assume  that  3,000  miles  of  the  im- 
proved roads  are  included  in  our  state  aid  system  of  16,000 
miles,  thus  leaving  still  to  be  improved  13,000  miles  of  the 
said  system.  Our  estimate  of  the  cost  of  improving  this 
13,000  miles  is  as  follows: 

3000  miles    @    $15,000..  .    $45,000,000 

6000        "        @      10,000 60,000,000 

4000        "        @         6,000 24,000,000 


$129,000,000 

Cost  to  Taxpayer. — As  before  stated,  the  different  esti- 
mates of  costs  arise  from  different  widths  of  the  roads  as 
well  as  different  types  of  construction,  depending  upon  traf- 
fic, and  are  purely  estimates,  as  we  have  taken  no  traffic 
census.  There  will  be  a  variation  both  as  to  the  number  of 
miles  in  each  class  and  the  cost,  but  we  assume  that  the  en- 
tire system  can  be  adequately  improved  within  the  estimate. 
This  sum  of  $129,000,000  spread  over  a  period  of  20  years 
would  require  $6,450,000  annually.  On  the  assumption  that 
the  average  equalized  assessed  valuation  for  the  state  for  the 
next  20  years  will  amount  to  $3,000,000,000,  the  above  $6,- 
450,000  would  cost  the  taxpayer  an  average  of  21^  cts.  per 
$100  of  assessed  valuation.  This  would  mean  that  the  man 
owning  a  home  valued  at  $1,500,  assessed  at  $500,  would  pay 
$1.07  per  year. 

Cost  to  Farmer. — Under  our  state  aid  system  by  which 
J:he  state  and  the  county  each  pay  one-half  the  cost  of  the 
state  aid  roads,  the  farms  of  the  state  on  the  average  pay 
40  per  cent,  of  the  cost  of  the  improvement,  the  balance 
of  60  per  cent,  being  paid  by  personal  property,  cities,  vil- 
lages and  corporations.  Forty  per  cent,  of  the  $6,450,000 
required  annually  would  be  $2,580,000,  which  would  be  the 
proportion  paid  by  the  farmers.  This,  divided  among  the 
34,000,000  acres  of  farm  land  in  Illinois,  would  mean  a  cost 
of  7  cts.  per  acre  annually  for  a  period  of  20  years  to  the 
farms  of  Illinois  for  the  improvement  of  this  system  of 


.     PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  89 

13,000  miles  of  roads.  This  is  assuming  that  all  of  the 
money  is  provided  by  a  direct  tax  with  no  assistance  from 
any  special  tax,  or  from  the  federal  government.  Even  on 
this  basis  the  burden  when  spread  over  the  entire  state,  is 
small. 

Improvement  of  Connecting  Roads. — You  will  say  that 
we  have  provided  for  only  20  per  cent,  of  our  mileage, 
which  is  true;  but  we  have  provided  for  80  per  cent,  of  the 
traffic.  Further,  our  townships  are  levying  at  this  time  a 
tax  from  which  they  realize  over  $7,000,000  annually  which 
will  be  applied  to  the  improvement  of  the  remaining  80 
per  cent,  of  the  roads.  Again,  inasmuch  as  these  roads  re- 
ceive only  20  per  cent,  of  the  traffic,  it  follows  that  they 
should  be  Improved  at  a  very  much  less  cost  per  mile,  and 
that  upon  a  large  part  of  the  mileage,  because  of  light 
traffic,  the  economical  type  of  construction  will  be  a  well 
graded  and  drained  earth  road  with  systematic  dragging. 
Illinois  with  a  little  less  than  the  average  of  improved  roads 
should  be  fairly  typical  of  the  general  average. 

Distribution  of  Burden. — Another  feature  that  has  a  very 
important  bearing  upon  this  question  of  how  burdensome 
the  cost  of  better  roads  will  prove  to  be  is  the  matter  of  its 
distribution  among  the  different  taxing  bodies. 

Burden  Concern  of  All. — We  have  shown  that  road  im- 
provement is  no  longer  a  matter  of  purely  local  concern, 
but  of  benefit  to  all.  It  is  also  evident  from  all  the  esti- 
mates of  cost  given  for  Illinois  that  the  cost  in  the  aggre- 
gate involves  a  sum  comparable  only  to  the  cost  of  our 
railway  systems,  from  which  it  follows  that  we  must  have 
assistance  from  all  possible  sources.  These  sources  are: 
The  federal  government,  which  derives  its  income  mainly 
from  customs  and  internal  revenue,  thus  drawing  indirectly 
from  all  classes;  the  state  tax,  reaching  all  property  within 
the  state  and  including  all  the  large  cities  and  corporations, 
as  well  as  many  fees  and  special  taxes;  the  county  and 
township  taxes,  more  localized  in  their  scope  and  nearer 
the  source  of  the  benefits;  and  in  addition  to  the  above  the 
automobile  and  kindred  license  fees,  collected  from  a  cer- 
tain part  of  those  benefited.  All  of  these  channels  are 
utilized  at  the  present  time  except  that  no  aid  is  received 
from  the  federal  government. 

Federal  Aid. — If  our  statement  is  true  that  all  the  people 
are  benefited  by  good  roads,  then  all  the  people  should  share 
the  burdens.  There  are  in  the  United  States  many  mil- 
lions of  people  who  pay  no  town,  county  or  state  taxes,  and 
who  can  only  aid  in  this  work  through  indirect  taxes  which 
they  pay  to  the  federal  government.  Hence  only  through 
federal  aid  can  these  millions  be  called  upon  to  share  their 
part  of  the  burden. 


40  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

The  government  has  in  recent  years  taken  a  considerable 
amount  from  the  revenue  contributed  at  home  and  expended 
it  in  improving  the  highway  systems  of  Cuba  and  our  island 
possessions,  but  has  steadfastly  declined  to  assist  in  im- 
proving the  roads  at  home.  It  is  committed  to  the  principle 
of  aiding  and  fostering  internal  improvements  along  other 
lines,  having  expended  many  millions  for  public  buildings, 
rivers  and  harbors  and  other  similar  improvements.  It  has 
even  gone  to  the  extent  of  purchasing  foreign  territory  for 
the  purpose  of  constructing  a  world  water-way  upon  which 
it  has  expended  300  to  350  millions  of  dollars.  Many  of 
these  improvements  were  needed,  and  all  are  beneficial  to  a 
restricted  number  of  people,  but  no  one  will  say  that  these 
benefits  are  at  all  comparable  to  the  benefits  which  would 
have  been  derived  from  the  expenditure  of  an  equal  amount 
of  money  in  road  improvement.  That  this  same  amount  of 
money  would  reach  a  vastly  greater  number  of  people  and 
cause  a  much  greater  development  of  the  resources  of  the 
country,  if  expended  on  roads,  does  not  admit  of  success- 
ful contradiction. 

Roads  Important  to  National  Defense. — To  look  at  the 
matter  of  federal  aid  from  another  standpoint,  we  hear  much 
in  these  days  about  our  lack  of  preparedness  for  defense, 
in  the  case  of  attack,  and  the  indications  are  that  public  sen- 
timent favors  the  strengthening  of  our  army  and  navy  and 
our  coast  defense;  but  no  preparation  for  defense  will  be 
complete  without  the  proper  improvement  of  our  highways. 

The  war  now  in  progress  is  a  conflict  in  which  the  ma- 
chinery of  war  is  playing  the  most  important  part;  and  no 
part  of  the  machinery  is  more  important  in  its  general 
utility  than  the  motor-driven  vehicle.  As  an  illustration  of 
the  part  it  is  taking,  I  would  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
in  the  year  ending  June  1  we  shipped  to  Europe  13,432 
trucks,  saying  nothing  of  the  unfilled  orders,  and  that  we 
are  now  sending  to  the  war  zone  an  average  of  over  100 
trucks  per  day.  Trucks  without  roads  would  be  useless. 
And  if  the  government  is  to  prepare  any  adequate  plans 
for  defense  it  cannot  overlook  the  improvement  of  our 
highways. 

Amount  of  Federal  Aid. — The  extent  to  which  the  govern- 
ment should  assist  in  road  improvement  should  be  com- 
mensurate with  the  importance  of  the  project  and  with  the 
amount  of  money  required  to  carry  it  on.  We  are  now  ex- 
pending annually  over  $200,000,000.  It  would  appear  that 
assistance  to  the  extent  of  $50,000,000  would  not  be  out  of 
place.  We  have  been  expending  about  that  amount  an- 
nually on  the  Panama  Ganal,  which  is  now  completed.  This 
amount  of  money  could  be  profitably  expended  in  further- 
ing road  development.  Whether  the  government  shall 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  41 

construct  a  system  of  government  roads,  or  assist  the 
states  in  the  improvement  of  rural  mail  routes  is  not  so 
important,  as  enlisting  the  government  in  the  work.  Th* 
economic  advantages  undoubtedly  lie  in  a  cooperation  of 
the  state  and  federal  departments;  but  it  is  not  my  purpose 
to  discuss  this  matter. 

Cost,  How  Provided. — The  next  question  that  arises  is: 
How  shall  the  money  be  raised?  Shall  we  proceed  on  the 
"pay  as  you  go'*  plan,  or  shall  we  borrow  the  money?  I 
have  shown  that  to  build  these  roads  over  a  period  of  20 
to  25  years  would  not  be  burdensome  to  the  people,  but 
public  sentiment  is  rapidly  working  toward  the  point  of  de- 
manding immediate  improvement  of  a  fair  proportion  of  this 
mileage,  especially  the  main  roads.  In  other  words,  they 
want  them  now.  There  can  be  no  argument  against  the 
"pay  as  you  go"  system  if  you  have  the  money,  or  are  will- 
ing to  wait  for  the  improvement  until  you  can  raise  the 
money;  but  if  you  haven't  the  money  and  do  not  want  to 
wait  you  will  be  obliged  to  borrow. 

Issuing  Bonds. — There  are  certain  rules  which  should 
govern  in  issuing  bonds  for  road  improvement. 

1.  Bonds  should  not  be  issued  so  as  to  place  any  burden 
upon  the  future  taxpayer  for  which  he  does  not  receive  full 
value. 

2.  Bonds  should  be  issued  to  mature  serially. 

Under  these  rules  it  follows  that  bonds  should  not  be 
issued  for  temporary  work.  It  also  follows  that  the  dura- 
bility of  the  improvement  should  be  one  of  the  important 
factors  in  determining  the  rapidity  with  which  the  bonds 
should  be  retired. 

The  issuing  of  bonds  maturing  serially  has  ,the  advantage 
of  avoiding  the  necessity  for  providing  a  sinking  fund  to  re- 
tire them  at  some  future  date;  and  what  is  equally  important, 
the  taxpayer  is  paying  for  the  improvement  at  the  same 
time  that  he  is  wearing  it  out.  Under  these  rules  paying 
for  road  improvements  through  the  issuing  of  bonds  is  the 
most  equitable  system  of  financing.  As  an  illustration, 
instead  of  paying  this  year  the  entire  cost  of  improving  a 
small  piece  of  road,  would  it  not  be  better  to  use  the  same 
amount  of  money  in  paying  one  installment  upon  the  cost 
of  improving  the  entire  road?  In  the  first  instance,  the 
community  would  pay  the  entire  cost  of  the  small  part  and 
drive  through  the  mud  on  the  balance  of  the  road;  while 
in  the  second  instance  they  would  have  the  entire  road  im- 
proved, and  the  taxpayers  using  the  road  each  year  there- 
after would  pay  a  share  of  the  cost. 

Automobile  License  Fees. — Another  source  of  revenue  for 
road  construction  and  maintenance  outside  of  taxation  and 
bond  issues  is  the  automobile  and  kindred  license  fees.  These 


42  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

fees  are  reaching  as  much  as  a  million  dollars  annually  in 
some  states  and  are  a  decided  help  in  carrying  on  the  work. 
They  are  paid  very  willingly  by  owners  of  automobiles 
when  the  money  is  being  economically  used  in  improving 
the  highways. 

Economy  and  Efficiency  in  'Construction. — Finally,  the 
burdens  will  be  materially  decreased  by  a  careful,  systematic 
and  economic  expenditure  of  the  people's  money.  Not  only 
that,  but  the  people  will  cheerfully  pay  for  improvements 
that  give  them  value  received.  In  many  states  we  are  still 
struggling  with  the  small  unit  of  control  which  is  sure  to 
give  unsystematic  work  and  uneconomic  results.  Only  to 
the  extent  that  road  construction  is  systematized  and  con- 
nected from  the  state  department  to  the  district  organiza- 
tion, with  trained  and  efficient  road  builders  in  charge,  will 
we  be  able  to  give  to  the  people  the  proper  returns  for  the 
money  expended. 

Conclusion. — I  have  already  summarized  the  benefits  to 
be  derived  from  better  roads.  I  have  endeavored  to  show 
that,  while  the  burden  is  large  in  the  aggregate,  if  properly 
distributed  over  a  series  of  years,  it  will  be  comparatively 
small  to  each  individual,  and  that  the  direct  saving  through 
the  use  of  the  road  over  a  period  of  years  will  pay  for  the 
improvement;  that  the  federal  government  should  join  with 
the  state,  the  county,  and  the  township  in  carrying  .this 
burden;  that  the  issuance  of  bonds  for  this  improvement  is 
equitable  if  under  proper  restrictions;  that  we  should  con- 
serve all  road  funds  by  systematic  work  under  competent 
direction. 

A  prominent  writer  has  said  that  the  era  just  passed  is 
the  "steam  age"  and  that  we  are  now  entering  the  "gasoline 
age,"  also  that  the  "steam  age"  is  responsible  for  the  de- 
velopment of  the  great  railway  systems  of  the  country  and 
that  the  "gasoline  age"  will  bring  about  a  like  development 
of  the  highways;  further  that  the  result  of  the  "steam  age" 
has  been  the  concentration  of  the  people  as  well  as  capital 
in  large  centers,  whereas  the  tendency  of  the  "gasoline  age," 
both  as  to  people  and  capital,  will  be  from  the  city  toward 
the  country.  -This  statement  is  unquestioned  as  regards  the 
past  and  its  prophecy  as  to  the  future  is  in  harmony  with 
the  trend  of  the  times. 

CHAIRMAN  PRATT:  Is  there  any  discussion  on  this 
paper?  If  not,  the  next  subject  for  discussion  is  "Roadside 
Improvement,"  and  the  discussion  will  be  led  by  Mr.  Henry 
S.  Graves,  Chief  of  the.  Bureau  of  Forestry,  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture.  I  have  been  informed  that  he 
has  been  unavoidably  delayed  and  cannot  be  here.  He  has 
sent  here  a  paper  which  will  be  published  in  the  proceed- 
ings, but  it  is  not  on  this  subject.  It  is  not  on  the  subject  of 


PAX-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  43 

''Roadside  Improvements,"  but  "Road  Building  in  the  Na- 
tional Forests."  At  the  end  of  the  papers  of  this  afternoon's 
session  if  any  one  wants  to  call  up  that  subject  we  can  take 
it  up  for  general  discussion. 


Road-Building   in   the  National  Forests 

By  HENRY  S.  GRAVES 
Chief,   Bureau  of  Forestry,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 

There  are  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  national  forests  in 
the  continental  United  States,  with  a  net  area  of  136,000,000 
acres.  With  few  exceptions,  these  areas  are  grouped  along 
the  axes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  Sierra  Nevadas.and 
the  Coast  Range,  and  along  certain  outlying  groups  in  the 
Great  Basin  and  spurs  from  the  main  ridges.  Because  of 
their  physical  location  the  national  forests  present  serious 
problems  in  transportation  and  communication.  They  con- 
tain the  highest  altitudes  and  the  roughest  topography  in 
the  United  States.  Large  areas  are  still  entirely  without 
roads  of  any  description  and,  until  the  Forest  Service  took 
up  their  administration,  were  not  even  provided  with  trails. 

Within  the  boundaries  of  the  national  forests  are  numerous 
mining  camps,  small  agricultural  communities  and  isolated 
farms.  Some  means  of  access  to  outside  markets  and  to 
sources  of  supply  has  been  imperative.  Individuals  and 
communities  have  constructed  roads  when  possible,  but  when 
the  cost  of  even  makeshift  roads  was  too  great  to  be  borne, 
trails  have  had  to  suffice.  Earlier  settlement  was  upon  the 
most  accessible  lands;  future  settlement  will  be  upon  more 
remote  areas.  The  lack  of  transportation  facilities  will  con- 
sequently become  more  acute,  and  the  need  for  an  adequate 
system  of  roads  will  constantly  become  more  urgent. 

On  account  of  the  lack  of  transportation  facilities,  the 
Forest  Service  on  assuming  administration  of  the  national 
forests  was  obliged  to  incur  considerable  expense  in  con- 
structing roads  and  trails  for  purposes  of  administration  and 
protection.  Out  of  the  appropriations  for  permanent  improve- 
ments some  2,000  miles  of  road  have  been  constructed  or 
repaired  at  an  expenditure  of  about  $400,000,  and  over  22,000 
miles  of  trails  have  been  built  at  a  cost  of  over  $1,000,000. 
Although  under  the  terms  of  the  appropriations  acts  these 
roads  and  trails  have  been  built  primarily  for  purposes  of 
administration  and  of  protection,  they  have  also  been  of  ma- 
terial service  to  the  general  public. 

Recognizing  that  the  national  forests  should  contribute 
directly  to  community  development  and  to  the  maintenance 
of  local  public  institutions,  Congress  in  1006  passed  an  act 
under  the  terms  of  which  10  per  cent,  of  the  receipts  of  each 
national  forest  should  be  paid  to  the  state  in  which  such 
forest  was  situated,  to  be  expended  as  the  Legislature  might 


44  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

prescribe  for  the  benefit  of  the  public  schools  and  public 
roads  of  the  county  or  counties  in  which  the  national  forest 
was  situated.  In  1908  the  amount  was  increased  to  25  per 
cent.  Including  the  present  fiscal  year,  the  total  thus  paid 
to  the  states  for  road  and  school  purposes  will  have  aggre- 
gated^  nearly  $4,500,000.  Only  a  very  small  part  of  this, 
however,  has  ever  been  used  for  road  building  within  the 
national  forests.  The  settlers  within  national  forest  boun- 
daries form  too  small  a  minority  in  county  affairs. 

At  the  beginning  of  1912  Congress  appropriated  a  further 
10  per  cent,  of  the  receipts  to  be  used  solely  for  the  con- 
struction and  maintenance  of  roads  and  trails  within  the 
national  forests,  such  roads  to  be  primarily  for  public  use 
and  the  moneys  to  be  expended  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Secretary  of  Agriculture.  Whenever  practicable,  the  co- 
operation of  state  and  local  agencies  was  to  be  secured.  It 
is  under  this  law  that  the  Forest  Service  has  organized  and 
is  carrying  on  construction  of  public  roads  within  the  na- 
tional forests. 

The  field  force  of  the  Forest  Service  is  organized  into  six 
districts.  By  a  cooperative  agreement  with  the  Office  of 
Public  Roads  and  Rural  Engineering  a  roads  engineer  has 
been  detailed  to  each  district  and  has  charge,  under  the  direct 
supervision  of  the  District  Forester,  of  the  location  and  con- 
struction of  roads  within  the  district.  Including  the  pres- 
ent fiscal  year  $926,000  has  been  appropriated,  and  $526,000 
has  been  expended  for  the  construction,  repair  and  mainten- 
ance of  some  500  miles  of  road.  The  remaining  $400,000  has 
been  or  will  be  allotted  for  use  during  the  current  year. 

Before  proceeding  with  construction,  the  Forest  Service 
made  extensive  reconnaissance  surveys  for  the  purpose  of 
classifying  the  road  projects  in  each  state  in  the  order  of 
their  relative  importance.  This  procedure  was  necessary 
because  the  need  and  the  demand  for  road  construction 
funds  have  been  many  times  the  appropriations  available.  It 
has  been  the  aim  of  the  Forest  Service  to  concentrate  its 
funds  on  a  few  projects  and  to  carry  them  rapidly  to  com- 
pletion rather  than  to  scatter  its  efforts  over  many  projects 
with  indifferent  results.  In  the  selection  of  projects  for.  con- 
struction, preference  is  given  to  those  sections  and  com- 
munities within  or  adjacent  to  national  forests  that  are 
situated  away  from  the  main  systems  of  state  or  county 
highways  and  that  would  remain  without  means  of  transpor- 
tation were  it  not  for  the  assistance  of  the  Forest  Service. 

No  attempt  has  been  made,  or  is  likely  to  be  made  in  the 
future,  to  construct  expensive,  surfaced  roads.  Transpor- 
tation conditions  within  the  national  forests  would  not  war- 
rant the  expenditure.  It  is  the  aim,  however,  to  build  good 
quality,  medium  width  earth  roads  with  easy  grades  and 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  45 

adequate  drainage.  In  several  instances,  on  account  of  heavy 
rock  excavation,  it  has  been  deemed  advisable  to  build  at 
present  only  a  single  track  road,  but  with  provision  for  fre- 
quent turnouts  and  so  located  that  the  width  can  be  readily 
increased  in  the  future  if  conditions  warrant.  Particular 
emphasis  is  being  placed  on  grade  and  drainage.  Wherever 
reasonably  possible,  6  per  cent  is  the  limiting  grade.  Side 
ditching  is  universal;  protection  ditches  are  built  wherever 
required,  and  culverts  of  ample  size  are  placed  at  frequent 
intervals.  The  Forest  Service  proposes  also  to  devote  a 
portion  of  its  funds  each  year  to  the  maintenance  of  the 
roads  already  built.  Ditches  and  culverts  will  be  kept  open, 
and  the  roads  will  be  dragged  and  crowned  whenever  neces- 
sary. In  many  instances  a  small  crew  will  be  kept  con- 
stantly at  work  during  the  open  season  until  the  road  has  be- 
come thoroughly  solidified  under  traffic. 

The  funds  .available  will  build  only  a  small  part  of  the 
roads  that  are  needed;  the  remainder  must  be  built  by  the 
local  communities  or  remain  unbuilt  unless  some  new  plan 
for  road  financing  is  adopted.  Under  such  conditions,  the 
importance  as  object  lessons  of  a  few  well-built  and  well- 
kept  roads  is  apparent.  It  is  the  aim  to  build  a  class  of 
roads  that  should  be  within  the  means  of  the  local  com- 
munities to  build  for  themselves,  and  particularly  to  prove 
by  example  the  advisability  of  protecting  the  original  invest- 
ment in  road  construction  by  reasonable  annual  maintenance. 
The  mountain  communities,  especially,  need  proof  that  intel- 
ligent maintenance  of  earth  roads  is  cheaper  than  intermit- 
tent repairs. 

By  taking  advantage  of  an  existing  organization  and  of 
the  Forest  Supervisor's  intimate  knowledge  of  local  labor 
conditions,  it  has  been  possible  to  construct  roads  by  direct 
supervision  at  a  less  cost  than  by  contract  and  at  a  con- 
siderably less  cost  than  similar  roads  have  been  built  in  the 
past.  On  account  of  the  moderate  cost  and  the  satisfactory 
character  of  the  roads  which  are  being  built,  cooperative 
funds  supplied  by  individuals,  associations  and  local  gov- 
ernmental agencies  are  in  the  majority  of  cases  turned  over 
to  the  Forest  Service  to  be  expended  under  its  supervision. 
At  the  close  of  construction,  a  detailed  accounting  of  the 
entire  expenditure  is  submitted  to  the  cooperators.  No 
work  that  the  Forest  Service  has  undertaken  has  met  with 
more  hearty  commendation  or  received  more  generous  local 
cooperation. 

There  are  at  present  24  road  projects  under  construction* 
in  12  states.  Among  those  already  completed,  several  are- 
worthy  of  special  mention.  The  road  over  which  for  3*ears. 
all  traffic  was  carried  on  between  the  Big  Hole  Basin,  in 
Beaverhead  County,  Montana,  and  the  Bitterroot  Valleyv 


46  PAN-AMERICAN' ROAD  CONGRESS 

crossed  the  Continental  Divide  at  an  elevation  of  about  7,000 
ft.  On  the  Big  Hole  side  the  road  was  located  for  several 
miles  up  a  swampy  creek-bottom,  completely  submerged  at 
high  water,  and  difficult  of  passage  at  all  times.  On  the 
abrupt  descent  on  the  Bitterroot  side  the  road  dropped 
nearly  2,000  ft.  in  a  distance  of  3  miles.  It  was  narrow, 
scoured  by  every  rain,  and  had  grades  in  excess  of  25  per 
cent.  Every  load  going  over  the  grade  had  to  be  broken  at 
the  foot  of  the  .ascent.  In  cooperation  with  Ravalli  and 
Beaverhead  Counties  and  with  local  residents,  the  Forest 
Service  made  a  complete  relocation  and  constructed  26  miles 
of  new  road  on  firm  ground,  with  a  limiting  grade  of  6  per 
cent,  at  a  cost  of  $51,000,  of  which  $32,000  was  paid  by  the 
Forest  Service,  $13,000  by  Ravalli  and  Beaverhead  Counties, 
and  $6,000  was  raised  by  private  subscription.  This  road 
gives  to  a  large  section  of  Southwestern  Montana  access 
to  the  Bitterroot  Valley,  forms  a  section  of  the  "Park  to 
Park  Highway,"  is  suitable  for  all  forms  of  travel,  and  pro- 
vides for  through  freighting  without  the  necessity  of  break- 
ing loads. 

Work  has  just  been  completed  on  the  Troy-Libby  Road, 
in  Western  Montana,  forming  the  closing  link  in  a  through 
road  down  the  Kootenai  Canyon  from  the  upper  Flathead 
Valley  to  Spokane  and  the  Inland  Empire  territory.  A  road 
now  under  construction  in  Northern  Idaho  will  complete 
through  connections  between  Sandpoint,  Idaho,  and  the  In- 
ternational Boundary.  A  road  has  been  completed  across 
the  Ochoco  National  Forest,  in  Oregon,  forming  a  connec- 
tion between  Prineville  and  the  orchard  country  of  the  upper 
John  Day  Valley,  and  another  road  under  construction 
across  McKenzie  Pass  will  become  the  main  route  from 
the' upper  Willamette  Valley  across  the  Cascades  into  East- 
ern Oregon. 

On  the  Idaho-Wyoming  boundary  a  road  is  being  built 
over  the  Teton  Pass  to  furnish  an  outlet  from  Jackson  Hole 
and  the  upper  Snake  River  Valley  to  the  railroad  terminus 
at  Victor,  Idaho.  The  road  across  the  Rabbit  Ear  Pass,  on 
the  Routt  National  Forest  in  Colorado^  will  be  completed 
this  season.  This  road,  together  with  one  already  built  across 
the  Cochetopa  Pass,  will  open  up  large  sections  of  national 
forest  in  Colorado  to  freighting  and  to  tourist  travel,  A 
road  just  finished  in  the  Powell  National  Forest,  in  Utah, 
will  open  communication  with  a  settlement  in  a  valley  of  the 
Upper  Colorado  that  has  hitherto  been  practically  shut  off 
from  the  rest  of  the  world. 

At  the  present  time  there  is  no  road  open  the  year  through, 
or  one  suitable  for  freighting,  between  the  Northern  Cali- 
"fpr'riia,  coast  and  that  portion  of  the  Sacramento  Valley  north 
of  Red  TSluff.  The  available  funds  in  California  are  to  be 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  47 

concentrated  in  large  part  upon  a  section  of  road  down  the 
Trinity  River,  through  the  Trinity  National  Forest,  which 
will,  when  completed,  furnish  a  through  route,  open  at  all 
seasons,  with  a  grade  not  to  exceed  6  per  cent,  between 
Redding  and  Weaverville  on  the  east  to  Humboldt  Bay  on 
the  Pacific. Coast. 

While  the  Forest  Service  is  doing  all  that  is  possible  with 
the  funds  under  its  administration,  the  amount  available 
is  insufficient  even  to  keep  pace  with  the  annual  increase  in 
demand  due  to  increase  of  settlement.  In  many  national 
forests  the  cost  of  an  adequate  system  of  roads  is  far  be- 
yond any  means  at  present  available  for  their  construction. 
There  are  large  areas  where  means  of  communication  are 
either  primitive  or,  nonexistent.  Not  only  should  the  ex- 
isting settlers  be  given  access  to  markets,  but  new  agricult- 
ural and  mining  districts  should  be  opened  up;  timber  re- 
sources should  be  made  available,  and  all  the  vast  recreation 
possibilities  of  the  national  forests  should  be  made  accessible 
to  the  general  public.  Yet  to  really  open  to  their  full  use 
such  forests  as  the  Selway  and  Clearwater,  in  Idaho,  the 
Olympic  in  Washington,  and  the  Klamath  and  Trinity  in 
California,  would  require  the  expenditure  of  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars.  Whence  shall  these  funds  come?  The 
local  communities  cannot  possibly  supply  them,  or  any  ap- 
preciable part  of  them. 

No  better  example  can  be  given  of  the  conditions  that 
exist  in  many  districts  than  that  of  Trinity  County,  Cali- 
fornia. With  an  area  which  is  2  per  cent,  of  the  entire  state, 
its  assessed  valuation  is  less  than  one-tenth  of  one  per  cent, 
of  the.  total  state  valuation.  With  a  tax  rate  the  highest  of 
any  county  in  the  state,  the  total  county  receipts  in  1914 
were  less  than  $80,000.  The  highest  road  tax  permitted 
under  the  law  would  yield  but  $18,000  a  year  for  the  main- 
tenance and  repair  of  23  bridges,  375  miles  of  road,  and  450 
miles  of  trail — an  amount  entirely  inadequate  for  the  purpose, 
even  if  no  new  construction  were  attempted.  An  adequate 
road  system  for  Trinity  County  would  cost  not  less  than  a 
quarter  of  a  million  dollars.  Obviously,  the  county  is  utterly 
incapable  of  raising  this  amount. 

Fifty-eight  per  cent  of  the  area  of  the  county  is  national 
forest  land;  less  than  one  per  cent,  is  arable  valley  land.  It 
is  sometimes  argued  that  all  these  problems  would  be  solved 
if  the  public  land  were  permitted  to  pass  into  private  owner- 
ship, and  the  example  of  eastern  states  is  cited  as  a  proof 
of  the  contention.  Yet  one  need  only  to  observe  the  condi- 
tion of  roads  in  the  Appalachian  Mountains  where  the  land 
has  been  in  private  ownership  for  generations  to  realize  that 
something  more  is  needed  than  the  ability  to  tax  non-pro- 
dtlcing  timber  land  before  any  reasonably  adequate  system  of 


48  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

roads  can  be  built  in  sparsely  settled  mountain  territory.  If 
the  lands  within  the  national  forests  were  like  those  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley  or  of  the  Atlantic  Coastal  Plain,  the  argu- 
ment might  be  valid,  but  they  are  not.  Agricultural  lands 
are  confined  to  narrow  valleys  along  the  streams.  Such  areas 
as  are  susceptible  of  cultivation  are  being  opened  to  settle- 
ment as  fast  as  there  is  any  demand,  but  the  greater  part  of 
the  national  forest  lands  will  forever  remain  unsettled — 
suitable  for  nothing  else  than  the  growth  of  timber. 

There  are  on  the  Olympic  Peninsula  in  the  State  of  Wash- 
ington millions  of  acres  of  virgin  timber  in  private  owner- 
ship being  held  unused  for  future  rise  in  prices.  If  private 
ownership  is  all  that  is  required,  the  Olympic  counties 
should  not  lack  road  facilities,  at  least^in  those  districts 
where  private  ownership  obtains,  and  yet  those  very  dis- 
tricts of  huge  private  timber-holdings  are  almost  as  devoid, 
of  roads  as  the  primeval  wilderness.  Private  ownership  of 
timber  lands  has  discouraged  settlement;  taxable  values  are 
low,  and  it  will  be  necessary  for  the  state  to  provide  roads 
which  shall  connect  the  west  coast  of  the  Olympic  Peninsula 
with  the  Puget  Sound  district. 

There  is  no  reason  to  assume  that  private  ownership  of 
public  timber  lands  in  Trinity  County  would  result  any  dif- 
ferently than  it  has  on  the  Olympic  Peninsula  or  that  it 
would  to  any  appreciable  degree  solve  the  road  problem  of 
that  county.  What,  then,  is  the  answer?  Within  Trinity 
County  are  fourteen  billion  feet  of  national  forest  timber, 
worth,  at  a  stumpage  value  of  only  $2  per  thousand,  $28,- 
000,000.  Under  present  conditions  of  transportation  and  of 
market,  this  value  is  only  potential.  If  protected  from  fire 
and  other  destructive  agencies,  these  timber  lands  will  yield 
annually  and  forever  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty  million  feet  of  timber.  The  return  to  the  county  from 
a  rational  development  of  the  timber  sale  business  will  be 
slow,  but  it  will  be  sure.  Although  at  the  present  time  the 
returns  to  the  county  through  the  25  per  cent,  of  net  receipts 
are  very  small,  within  the  next  20  years  it  should  be  sufficient 
to  meet  all  needs.  But  the  present  is  unprovided  for,  be- 
cause the  timber  is  now  inaccessible  and  unmarketable.  Some 
plan  should  be  adopted  whereby  the  enormous  potential 
values  in  unused  timber  resources  should  serve  as  the  se- 
curity upon  which  funds  may  be  obtained  for  immediate  use. 
The  present  plan  should  be  modified  in  order  to  make 
these  heavily  timbered  forests  serviceable  to  the  people  at 
the  present  time,  during  the  most  serious  pioneer  stage  of 
the  region's  development.  Where  existing  resources  justify 
it  and  the  public  need  can  be  shown,  future  receipts  should 
be  anticipated  and  advances  be  made  by  Congress  for  the 
construction  of  roads,  bridges,  and  similar  public  works; 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  4» 

these  advances  to  be  returned  to  the  Treasury  from  the 
sums  which  will  be  received  later  and  which  would  go  to 
the  communities  under  the  present  law.  In  application  there 
need  be  no  general  legislation  nor  any  general  appropriation, 
but  every  project  should  be  taken  separately  and  on  its 
merits.  In  every  case  a  separate  development  unit  should 
be  considered;  a  plan  of  needed  road  development  should 
be  worked  out  by  the  government  and  county  officials  in 
cooperation;  a  specific  plan"  should  be  determined  for  those 
improvements  immediately  needed;  a  statement  should  be 
prepared  by  the  Forest  Service  showing  the  timber  and  other 
resources  and  the  receipts  that  can  conservatively  be  guaran- 
teed as  soon  as  those  resources  can  be  realized  upon;  a  full 
showing  should  be  made  of  the  need  of  the  improvement 
and  of  the  direct  public  service  which  would  be  rendered  in 
the  development  of  agriculture,  mining,  or  other  resources 
within  and  without  that  forest.  In  short,  a  business  state- 
ment should  be  prepared  for  each  given  project  separately, 
which  would  demonstrate  its  desirability  and  soundness  from 
the  standpoint  both  of  local  benefit  and  of  public  finance. 
Inasmuch  as  every  advance  would  be  secured  by  existing 
resources  now  owned  by  the  Government,  there  would  be  no 
possibility  of  loss.  Also,  as  every  advance  would  be  returned 
from  the  share  of  later  receipts  already  pledged  to  the 
communities  by  Congress,  there  would  be  no  question  of  a 
federal  grant.  The  first  direct  proposals  to  Congress  should 
be  in  the  form  of  small  advances  for  surveys  which  would 
be  used  as  a  basis  for  specific  estimates  for  later  advances 
which  Congress  would  fully  investigate  before  making  the 
money  available. 

The  proposed  plan  would  make  public  benefits  of  the  na- 
tional forest  immediately  realizable;  it  would  accomplish  a 
development  not  possible  for  the  communities  without  pub- 
lic aid;  it  would  relieve  the  burden  of  taxation  on  struggling 
new  communities;  it  would  hasten  the  development  of  the 
national  forests  themselves  which  are  unavailable  because 
of  lack  of  transportation,  and  every  expenditure  would  be 
guaranteed  by  resources  now  controlled  by  the  Government, 
so  that  in  the  long  run  there  would  be  no  net  contribution 
by  the  nation  itself  except  as  provided  by  existing  law. 

Clearing  of  land  for  farming,  building  of  homes  and  schools 
and  churches,  public  improvements  of  towns,  in  addition 
to  road  building,  are  the  burdens  of  a  small  struggling  popu- 
lation composed  largely  of  men  possessed  of  great  persever- 
ance and  courage,  but  of  little  means.  It  should  be  a  funda- 
mental principle  that  the  national  forests  are  not  to  be  re- 
garded as  a  separate  federal  domain  administered  only  from 
a  national  standpoint  and  without  reference  to  the  needs 
of  the  local  communities.  The  forests  were  set  aside  to 


50  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

accomplish    a    great    national    purpose,    but    their    first    and 
greatest  service  should  be  to   the  local   communities. 


CHAIRMAN  PRATT:  "The  Essentials  of  Proper  Laws 
for  Highway  Work"  is  the  subject  of  a  paper  which  has  been 
prepared  by  Col.  E.  A.  Stevens,  State  Commissioner  of  Pub- 
lic Roads  in  New  Jersey.  The  discussion  of  this  paper  was 
prepared  by  Mr.  A.  N.  Johnson,  of  the  Bureau  of  Municipal 
Research  of  New  York  City.  These  papers  are  here,  and  if 
at  the  end  of  the  other  papers  anyone  wishes  to  have  them 
read  we  can  have  them  read  from  the  platform,  and  we  can 
then  have  them  discussed. 

The  next  subject  is  a  rather  broad  one,  "National,  State 
and  Local  Responsibility  for  Road  Conditions  and  Ways  of 
Securing  Improvements."  I  will  call  first  for  the  discussion 
of  this  paper,  on  Judge  J.  T.  Ronald  of  Seattle,  Washington,, 
if  the  Judge  is  here.  Apparently  he  is  not  here,  and  I  will 
now  call  on  Mr.  O.  E.  Hotle  of  Oakland,  California.  Ap- 
parently he  is  not  here.  Is  the  Hon.  Arthur  Langath  of 
Portland,  Oregon,  here?  Is  there  anyone  here  who  would 
like  to  discuss  this  particular  subject,  "National,  State  and 
Local  Responsibility  for  Road  Conditions  and  Ways  of  Se- 
curing Improvements."  As  I  stated  it  is  a  pretty  broad  sub- 
ject. You  can  bring  into  the  discussion  of  this  subject  al- 
most any  phase  of  road  work,  and  it  was  under  this  head 
that  it  was  expected  we  would  take  up  something  in  regard 
to  federal  aid.  I  am  going  to  ask  Mr.  MacKenzie,  if  he  is  in 
the  room,  to  take  up  the  discussion  of  this  paper. 

C.  L.  MACKENZIE:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen:  I 
have  prepared  a  paper  for  presentation  to  the  Tri-State  Good 
Roads  Association  on  the  subject  of  "Federal  Aid  to  Rural 
Districts." 

CHAIRMAN  PRATT:    Can't  you  give  that  paper  here? 

MR.  MACKENZIE:  I  was  requested  by  Major  Crosby, 
the  chairman  of  your  program  committee,  to  present  it  here. 
We  adjourned  our  meeting  to  this  body.  However,  I  didn't 
bring  my  paper  with  me,  but  I  have  sent  to  the  hotel  for 
it  and  I  would  be  glad  to  read  it  to  the  association  if  it 
gets  here  in  time.  It  is  not  here  yet,  but  will  be  probably 
in  five  or  ten  minutes.  I  would  prefer  to  present  it  through 
the  paper  rather  than  through  an  address,  if  you  can  ar- 
range it  that  way. 

CHAIRMAN  PRATT:    We  can  arrange  it  all  right.    With 
the  permission  of  the  delegates  we  will  go  back  to  the  fifth 
subject,    "The    Essentials    of    Proper     Laws     for     Highway 
WoVk."     Does   anyone  want  to   discuss   that   subject? 
'MR.  COBB:     I  would  suggest,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  Colo- 
nel Stevens'  paper  and  Mr.  Johnson's  paper  be  read. 
•  CHAIRMAN  PRATT:   -I  will  ask  Mr.  Cobb  to  come  up ^ 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  51 

on  the  platform  and  read  Colonel  Stevens'  paper.     (Laugh- 
ter.) 


The  Essentials  of  Proper  Laws  for  Highway  Work 

By   COL.   E.   A.   STEVENS, 
State  Commissioner  of  Public  Roads  of  New  Jersey. 

I  shall  at  the  outset,  assume  that  improved  public  roads 
are  a  commercial  necessity  and  that  the  benefits  of  improve- 
ment will  repay  any  reasonable  cost.  Those  who  differ  with 
me  on  this  point  will  continue  to  do  so  until  the  inexorable 
logic  of  the  law  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest  shall  have 
demonstrated  their  mistake. 

Granted  that  we  must  have  good  roads  and  that  these  are 
to  be  obtained  through  legislation,  we  face  certain  difficulties 
which  need  careful  consideration  before  an  attempt  is  made 
to  decide  on  the  exact  character  of  legislation  needed.  These 
difficulties  spring  partly  from  our  national  character,  our 
political  conditions,  the  traffic  on  our  roads  and  the  extent 
of  our  road  problem. 

We  are  by  nature  optimists  and  perhaps  unreasonably 
hopeful.  We  cherish  and  perpetuate  many  of  the  traits 
springing  from  the  pioneer  work  done  by  our  immediate  fore- 
bears. We  are  too  apt  to  undervalue  the  need  and  value  of 
specialized  training  and  consider  that  any  industrious  and 
sound  person  can  successfully  tackle  work  with  which  he 
has  little  or  no  experience.  We  believe  a  little  too  much  in 
the  Jack  of  all  trades  and  this  seems  to  be  especially  true 
of  our  roads.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  fact  in  the  days 
of  dirt  roads  and  animal  haulage,  we  have  progressed  ter 
beyond  that  point  today.  We  ar  too  great  believers  in  the 
gospel  of  "hustling"  and  but  too  apt  to  forget  the  homely 
wisdom  of  Davy  Crockett,  "Be  sure  you  are  right  and  then 
go  ahead." 

Our  political  conditions  and  predilections  incline  us  to 
glorify  and  exalt  the  benefits  of  checks  and  safeguards  and 
of  local  self-government.  I  am  far  from  decrying  this  as 
a  general  doctrine,  but  it  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  any 
governmental  unit  to  which  special  work  is  to  be  intrusted 
should,  from  its  capacity  and  powers,  be  fitted  for  the  per- 
formance of  the  duties  imposed,  and  that,  if  we  are  to  have 
good  roads,  we  must  commit  their  administration  to  a  body 
fitted  to  discharge  the  duty,  irrespective  of  our  theories  as 
to  the  desirability  and  extent  of  local  self-government. 

The  experience  of  such  states  as  Massachusetts,  Rhode 
Island,  Connecticut  and  New  Jersey,  which  some  years  ago 
took  up  the  question  of  road  improvement  and  which  have 
made  progress  therein,  proves  that  the  motor  vehicle  traffic, 
developed  by  this  work  far  exceeds  that  which  should  have 


52  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

been  expected  under  European  conditions.  While  this 
demonstrates  the  greater  importance  of  the  highway  under 
American  conditions,  it  also  vastly  increases  the  difficulties 
of  the  problems  involved  in  the  proper  construction,  repair 
and  general  administration  of  our  road  systems. 

Our  problem  considered  as  a  national  one  is  so  big  that  its 
very  extent  is  hard  to  realize;  nevertheless  it  is  certain  that 
we  shall  in  the  near  future  build  a  very  large  improved 
road  mileage;  that  the  cost,  for  the  country  at  large,  will 
greatly  exceed  that  of  any  public  improvement  which  we 
have  ever  tackled,  not  excepting  the  Panama  Canal,  and  that 
this  large  sum  of  money  will  come  out  of  the  public  purse 
and  be  expended  through  public  officials,  and  that,  through 
such  expenditure,  if  wisely  made,  an  important  commercial 
advantage  will  ensue,  not  only  to  our  agricultural  interests, 
but  to  our  industrial  development.  The  cost,  however,  will 
be  so  great  that,  however  it  may  be  met,  it  will  prove  a 
serious  tax  upon  the  funds  which  the  nation  can  spare  for 
public  improvements.  Every  delay  in  the  completion  of  our 
road  system  will  mean  a  loss  due  to  the  prolongation  of 
conditions  that  are  already  a  serious  tax  on  many  communi- 
ties, as  witnessed  by  the  abandoned  farms  and  deserted 
fields  but  too  common  a  sight  in  our  older  states.  It  is, 
therefore,  of  double  importance  that  the  public  should  re- 
ceive the  full  value  of  every  dollar  expended  in  the  work; 
in  other  words,  that  in  planning  our  legislation  we  should 
keep  in  mind  that  the  administration  must  be  efficient.  Any 
clog  or  hindrance  unnecessarily  imposed  by  legislation  will 
prove  a  source  of  expense  and  delay.  Road  law  should  be 
simple,  clear  and  elastic.  Nothing  will  prove  more  harmful 
than  unnecessary  profusion  of  details,  superfluous  and  use- 
less checks  and  safeguards,  or  the  enactment  into  statute 
law  of  engineering  formulae.  We  have,  I  repeat,  a  difficult 
task.  For  its  proper  performance  we  need  thorough  pre- 
paration. 

Legislation  must  be  drawn  with  this  end  in  view.  The 
work  to  be  done  must  be  carefully  planned.  The  people  are 
entitled  to  know  at  the  earliest  possible  moment  the  kind 
and  extent  of  road  system  that  it  is  proposed  to  provide;  its. 
probable  cost;  that  provision  has  been  made  to  meet  this 
cost,  and  that  the  roads  to  be  built  will  be  maintained  so 
as  to  yield  the  benefit  of  the  investment  which  it  is  proposed 
to  make.  In  other  words,  the  road  system  must  be  planned 
and  the  probable  cost  of  both  construction  and  maintenance 
carefully  estimated  at  the  very  outset  and  this  work  should 
be  provided  for  by  law.  Only  when  the  data  thus  obtained 
are  available  can  a  businesslike  financial  plan  be  formulated. 
Nothing  is  so  demoralizing  to  the  force  and  hindering  to  the 
consummation  of  a  road  building  program  as  the  voting  of 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  53 

some  odd  millions  of  a  bond  issue  to  be  spent  on  a  system 
of  roads,  as  yet  unlocated,  as  to  the  cost  of  which  it  is  im- 
possible to  formulate  an  intelligent  guess  and  for  whose 
maintenance  in  condition  to  render  the  service  for  which 
they  were  designed  no  provision  has  been  made.  The  car- 
rying into  effect  of  any  carefully  planned  system  will  de- 
pend on  the  means  provided  to  meet  the  most  of  the  work. 
When  these  are  dependent  from  year  to  year  on  the  whin: 
of  legislative  bodies  and  the  demands  of  other  public  works, 
the  difficulties  of  efficient  administration  are  multiplied. 
When  to  the  uncertainty  as  to  the  amount  of  funds  avail- 
able, there  are  added  limitations  of  the  amounts  available  to 
the  certain  branches  of  work,  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
efficient  administration  become  insuperable.  Any  more 
wasteful  expenditure  than  the  forced  construction  of  new 
roads  when  sufficient  repair  funds  for  those  already  built 
are  lacking  is  hard  to  imagine. 

When  a  state  enters  into  an  arrangement  to  have  the 
road  work  done  by  its  political  subdivisions  there  must 
arise  complications  that  will  endanger  efficiency.  It  must 
be  borne  in  mind,  in  considering  this  matter,  that  results 
similar  to  those  obtained  in  such  states  as  I  have  above 
named  are  to  be  expected,  with  such  variations  as  are  due 
to  local  conditions,  in  other  and  less  thickly  settled  states. 
It  is  beyond  question  that,  in  a  country  without  improved 
roads,  present  highway  traffic  forms  no  basis  on  which  the 
traffic  after  future  improvement  can  be  estimated.  Not  only 
will  lands  -which  have  hitherto  not  repaid  the  cost  of  culti- 
vation become  productive,  but  the  character  and  amount  of 
crops  raised,  of  manufactures  produced  and  of  supplies 
needed,  will  change.  Traffic  will  flow  in  other  lines;  owing 
to  the  reduction  in  the  cost  of  highway  transport  the  dis- 
tance which  various  commodities  can  be  carried  will  ma- 
terially increase;  shipping  points  heretofore  impossible  will 
become  available.  All  of  this  will  be  governed  by  the  law 
of  demand  and  supply  whose  results  are  largely  dependent 
on  the  cost  of  transportation. 

It  is  essential  that  a  decision  should  be  reached  early  in 
the  consideration  of  the  subject  as  to  the  public  bodies  to 
be  placed  in  charge  of  the  different  classes  of  highways. 
Streets  in  thickly  inhabited  towns,  it  seems  generally  ad- 
mitted, not  only  in  this  country,  but  in  Europe,  should  be 
under  the  care  of  the  municipal  corporations.  This  seems 
the  best  practice. 

As  to  the  administration  of  country  roads,  as  distinguished 
from  streets,  it  seems  wise  to  divide  these  into  classes,  ac- 
cording to  their  importance  and  to  devolve  the  care  of  the 
various  classes  upon  different  governmental  bodies.  The  dif- 
ference in  organization  in  the  various  states  would  neces- 


54  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

sarily  enter  into  consideration  of  this  subject.  The  present 
tendency  seems  to  be  to  have  the  state  take  over  the  control 
of  the  most  important  roads  and  to  turn  over  those  of  lesser 
importance  to  county  or  town  authorities  or,  in  some  cases, 
to  subdivide  these  lesser  roads  into  two  classes,  one  of  these 
to  be  cared  for  by  the  county  and  the  other  by  the  town  or 
township.  The  plan  of  allowing  the  local  bodies  such  as 
the  towns  in  New  England  and  the  counties  in  the  southern 
states,  full  care  and  jurisdiction  over  all  public  roads  seems 
to  have  been  found  wanting.  Whatever  provision  is  adopted, 
the  roads  will  form  one  system,  traffic  will  pass  over  the 
lesser  to  the  greater  and  back  again  and  the  full  usefulness 
of  the  system  can  only  be  realized  by  insuring  that  all  parts 
shall  be  maintained  in  a  condition  of  efficiency;  in  other 
words,  good  road  service  will  require  cooperation  between 
the  public  bodies  and  officials  on  whom  will  rest  the  duty 
of  improvement  or  maintenance.  I  believe  that  all  who  have 
had  experience  on  the  subject  will  agree  with  me  that  this 
cooperation  cannot  be  left  to  the  haphazard  agreement  of 
the  parties  in  control  and  that  means  must  be  provided  to 
secure  the  much  needed  concert  of  action. 

Our  predilection  for  checks  and  safeguards  is  but  too  apt 
to  carry  us  to  extremes  in  the  enactment  into  law  of  de- 
tails that  should  be  left  to  executive  discretion.  Careless- 
ness and  haste  in  legislative  consideration  but  too  often 
results  in  needless  and  vexing  confusion.  The  absence  how- 
ever, of  provisions  for  detail  implies  and  must  rest  on  con- 
fidence in  those  to  whose  discretion  matters  of  importance 
will  be  left.  To  provide  not  only  a  head  but  the  force 
through  whom  he  must  act,  to  insure  that  in  character  and 
attainments  they  shall  hold  and  enjoy  such  confidence  and  be 
able  to  maintain  their  right  thereto,  is  by  no  means  the  least 
important  feature  of  an  ideal  road  law. 

In  the  manning  of  the  road  force  it  is  essential  that  the 
properly  qualified  individuals  should  be  chosen.  Selection 
cannot  be  made  on  the  basis  of  partisan  polities.  The 
"esprit  du  corps"  of  the  force  cannot  be  maintained  unless 
there  be  a  permanency  of  tenure  and  unless  faithful  and  suc- 
cessful work  will  bring  promotion  and  advancement.  These 
rules  should  be  applied  to  all  road  organizations,  whether 
they  be  state,  county  or  town.  The  work  will  be  a  large  one 
but  in  each  of  its  subdivisions  there  must  be  some  one  as- 
signed to  every  specific  duty,  provided  with  the  reasonable 
necessary  means  of  performing  the  same  and  held  to  a  strict 
accountability  therefor. 

The  exact  form  of  organization  chosen  does  not  seem  a 
matter  of  great  importance,  provided  the  principle  of  respon- 
sibility is  not  overlooked.  Sinecures  are  not  only  wasteful, 
but  demoralizing.  The  whole  force  knows  at  an  early  date 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  56 

whether  or  not  the  boss  (or  the  three  bosses,  if  such  be  the 
case)  are  "£>n  the  job."  The  organization  must  be  worthy 
of  public  confidence  and  of  its  own.  If  it  has  this,  if  it 
takes  pride  in  its  work  and  in  its  record,  it  becomes  a 
living  force  that  can  overcome  physical  and  legislative  diffi- 
culties and  do  its  work  with  other  objects  than  quitting  time 
and  pay  day  in  sight.  Without  such  a  force,  the  best  de- 
vised forms  ol  organization  will  be  but  poor  substitutes. 
Not  only  as  a  measure  of  efficiency,  but  as  an  incentive  to 
such  a  spirit  does  the  need  of  a  thorough  and  efficient  sys- 
tem of  records  and  accounts  become  indispensable.  I  may 
be  pardoned  for  dwelling  on  this  subject. 

However  we  may  disguise  it,  the  cost  of  a  road  is  made 
up  of  three  parts:  First,  the  interest  on  the  original  cost  of 
construction,  including  the  value  of  the  right  of  way,  design, 
engineering,  etc.;  second,  the  annual  repair  or  upkeep  charge, 
and,  third,  the  making  good  of  the  deterioration  in  the 
structure  due  to  defects  that  cannot  be  remedied  as  quickly 
as  they  arrive,  and  this  figure  should  include  the  allowance 
for  obsolescence.  All  of  these  items  may  not  show  up  in 
the  yearly  tax  bill,  but  somehow  or  other  they  will  come 
out  of  the  pocket  of  the  public,  whether  contributed  as  taxes 
on  property  or  so-called  license  fees  on  vehicles. 

The  motor  vehicle  itself  has  completely  upset  the  methods 
of  carrying  highway  traffic  and  road  conditions  in  general, 
but  not  only  as  to  types  of  design  and  construction.  The 
methods  of  administration  to  meet  the  conditions  thus  cre- 
ated must  be  subject  to  change.  In  the  State  of  New  Jersey 
in  ten  years  the  motor  traffic  has  increased  something  like 
twelvefold.  It  is,  therefore,  clear  that  sufficient  time  has 
not  elapsed  to  make  the  imperfect  statistical  data  of  the 
past  of  great  value  in  laying  out  the  work  of  the  future.  It 
must  be  borne  in  mind,  too,  that  the  best  data  available,  the 
French,  is  based  upon  a  motor  vehicle  population  of  about 
.4  of  a  vehicle  per  mile  of  road,  whereas  in  New  Jersey,  in 
1915,  this  population  will  probably  exceed  5  vehicles  per  mile. 
Statistics  as  to  the  performance  of  and  cost  of  maintenance 
of  road  surfaces  under  the  tests  of  actually  known  traffic 
intensities  are  the  only  data  on  which  design  and  systems  of 
maintenance  can  be  scientifically  based.  The  gathering  of 
such  data  is  generally  beyond  the  power  and  financial  ability 
of  the  smaller  communities  and  should  be  provided  for  by  the 
general  government  or  the  various  states.  It  is  always  hard 
to  persuade  the  Legislature  of  the  necessity  of  spending 
money  for  information,  but  the  necessity  exists  and  must 
be  recognized  if  we  are  to  have  efficiency.  The  weights 
carried  over  a  road  system  and  speed  at  which  they  are 
handled  for  a  given  cost  are  the  measure  of  the  return. 
The  determination  of  a  unit  to  express  this  value  is  by  no 


56  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

means  easy  and  involves  accounting  and  statistical  work 
of  no  mean  character,  yet  the  reduction  of  the»cost  of  this 
unit  will  be  the  consideration  which  will  influence  the  flow 
and  amount  of  highway  traffic.  In  the  case  of  a  railroad, 
the  direct  cost  of  hauling  and  those  charges  necessary  for 
the  maintenance  and  upkeep  of  the  permanent  way  are  all 
paid  from  the  same  pocket  and  can  all  be  easily  referred 
to  the  unit  of  ton  or  train  mile.  In  the  case  of  the  highway, 
however,  the  cost  haulage  will  be  borne  by  unknown  private 
individuals,  while  the  cost  of  maintaining  the  permanent  way 
will  be  paid  out  of  the  public  pocket.  Good  roads  will 
reduce  the  cost  of  haulage,  increase  traffic  speeds  and  the 
cost  of  road  maintenance  and  reduce  the  total  cost  enor- 
mously. 

The  problem  is  thus  a  complicated  one  when  viewed  as  a 
general  economic  proposition.  The  need,  however,  of  an 
accurate  knowledge  of  the  cost  of  providing  good  roads 
referred  to  a  unit  expressing  the  value  of  the  return  yielded 
is  by  no  means  lessened  by  such  complication.  In  no  other 
way  can  those  responsible  for  the  proper  and  wise  expendi- 
ture of  road  moneys  satisfactorily  plan  the  work  and  in  no 
other  way  can  the  results  obtained  be  fairly  judged.  A  cheap 
construction  may  well  be  justified,  in  spite  of  high  repair 
cost,  by  low  interest  and  depreciation  charges. 

I  have  above  alluded  to  the  need  of  forecasting  the  cost 
of  road  work  and  of  providing  the  means  of  meeting  the 
same,  also  of  the  division  of  the  total  cost  of  road  transport 
between  the  public  and  the  vehicle  owner.  These  subjects 
bear  on  the  determination  of  how  the  moneys  needed  for 
road  work  are  to  be  raised.  Bonds  are  merely  means  of 
anticipating  revenues  to  be  received  in  the  future;  if  use  is 
to  be  made  of  them  the  fund  necessary  to  meet  them  at 
maturity  must  be  provided,  but  without  endangering  the 
availability  of  a  sufficient  repair  fund  or  the  depreciation 
charges  necessary  to  care  for  those  parts  of  the  work  that  will 
call  for  periodic  renewal.  The  cost  of  providing  road  ser- 
vice is  today  a  heavy  charge  on  many  communities.  The 
value  thereof  accrues  to  the  road  user,  to  the  adjoining  prop- 
erty, to  the  locality,  to  the  state  and  to  the  nation  at  large. 
An  equitable  division  of  the  burden  is  of  vital  importance, 
but  in  such  division  the  interest  on  the  cost  of  construction 
must  be  borne  in  mind. 

I  cannot  close  in  any  better  way  than  by  summing  up  into 
a  few  conclusions  the  needed  features  of  a  road  law: 

1.  The  language  must  be  clear. 

2.  A  system  of  administration  must  be  chosen  and,  whether 
responsibility  be  centralized  or  distributed,  it  must  be  clearly 
devolved  on  the  agency  chosen. 

3.  A  careful  preparatory  study  of  the  work  should  be  pro- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  57 

vided  for  and  determination  based  thereon  of  the  program 
and  of  the  means  set  aside  to  meet  the  cost  of  the  same. 

4.  The    organization    provided    must    be    fit    for    its    work 
and  worthy  of  confidence  not  only  in  its  character  but  in 
its  ability. 

5.  It  must  be  given  adequate  powers  and  means. 

6.  It  must  render  full  account  of  its  work. 


The  Essentials  of  Proper  Laws  for  Highway  Work 

Discussion   by   A.   N.   JOHNSON, 
Highway  Engineer,  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Road  legislation  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  rules  and  regu- 
lations by  which  the  construction  and  maintenance  of  high- 
ways are  to  be  carried  on.  They  provide  for  the  organiza- 
tion, defining  the  officials  and  their  powers  and  duties,  the 
procedure  to  be  followed,  the  sources  of  revenue  and  its  dis- 
tribution, together  with  regulative  acts  regarding  the  use  of 
the  roads  and  punishments  for  violations.  This  paper  neces- 
sarily can  touch  upon  one  or  two  points  only,  and  those  but 
briefly. 

Logically  Arranged  Road  Laws  Lacking. — Few  states  have 
passed  a  general  highway  law  which  has  been  considered  as 
a  whole  and  therefore  has  a  logical  arrangement.  The  near- 
est approach  to  such  are  the  highway  laws  for  New  York 
and  Illinois. 

In  general,  the  highway  laws  of  .the  various  states  have 
been  developed  by  piecemeal;  amendment  added  to  amend- 
ment, laws  repealed  and  the  repealing  act  itself  repealed,  until 
amongst  the  bewildering  mass  of  words  it  is  hard  to  distin- 
guish who  is  in  authority  in  a  given  instance  or  what  the  pro- 
cedure should  be  to  accomplish  a  certain  purpose. 

To  add  to  the  confusion  the  statutes  are  full  of  special  laws 
to  enable  particular  ends  to  be  gained,  many  states  having 
special  road  laws  for  each  county,  with  the  general  laws  of 
the  state  applying  in  so  far  as  they  do  not  conflict  with  the 
county  laws. 

Comprehensive  Re-enactment  of  Road  Law  Desir- 
able.— Thus  in  nearly  every  state  much  would  be  gained  by 
comprehensive  re-enactment  of  the  road  laws  of  the  state, 
arranging  them  in  logical  manner  and  repealing  all  existing 
laws  in  order  to  avoid  conflicts. 

But  more  than  a  mere  rearrangement  is  necessary  if  road 
legislation  is  to  be  had  that  will  meet  modern  needs. 

A  highway  law  for  a  state  should  be  passed  that  has  been 
so  carefully  considered  as  to  make  it  wholly  unnecessary  for 
the  legislature  each  year  or  two  to  tack  on  additions  or  make 
vital  changes.  Such  a  highway  law  should  provide  for  a 


58  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

proper  organization,  one  that  would  give  sufficient  power  to  a 
central  authority  to  promulgate  by  rules  and  regulations 
much  that  is  now  detailed  legislation. 

Continuity  of  Policy  Desirable. — Such  authority  should  be 
placed  with  the  State  Highway  Department  whose  organiza- 
tion, to  be  effective,  must  be  such  as  to  secure  continuity  of 
policy  and  employment  and  retention  of  trained  highway  en- 
gineers. They  must  be  free  from  the  political  football  game. 
Skilled  technical  men  and  not  political  manipulators  thinly 
disguised  under  the  term  of  "practical  men,"  must  be  in  con- 
trol. 

The  state  department  as  here  contemplated  is  to  have  more 
than  the  control  of  merely  a  restricted  system  of  state  roads. 
It  is  to  have  general  control  of  all  the  road  work  and  the  road 
policy  of  the  state. 

If  any  proof  is  needed  that  such  central  control  is  essential 
and  that  present  road  administrative  methods  are  totally  un- 
able to  meet  modern  needs  it  is  only  necessary  to  glance  at 
most  of  the  special  legislation  for  local  road  projects. 

Local  Road  Administration  Ineffective. — The  many  special 
laws  for  the  expenditure  of  bond  issues  indicate  clearly  the 
appreciation  of  the  inadequacy  of  the  usual  road  machinery 
to  carry  out  effectively  road  improvement  on  the  scale  that  is 
demanded  today.  The  question  that  arises  is  to  what  extent 
have  the  devices  that  have  been  substituted  for  the  regularly 
organized  road  administrative  methods  remedied  the  defects? 
Do  these  special  road  laws  and  bond  issues  provide  a  satis- 
factory solution? 

Local  Bond  Issues. — During  the  past  ten  or  fifteen  years  a 
noticeable  feature  of  road  legislation  has  been  the  provisions 
that  have  been  made  for  road  work  to  be  paid  for  by  local 
bond  issues.  There  are  few  states  where  legislation  of  this 
character  has  not  been  passed.  The  reasons  leading  up  to 
such  legislation,  which  has  involved  in  the  aggregate  hun- 
dreds of  millions  of  dollars  in  bond  issues,  is  manifestly  to  be 
ascribed  to  the  great  public  interest  and  desire  for  improved 
roads. 

Attempt  to  Provide  for  Skilled  Supervision. — The  provisions 
that  are  made  for  an  organization  to  carry  out  the  work  are 
significant.  In  a  majority  of  cases  a  special  board  of  commis- 
sioners is  created  and  complete  organization  provided;  in 
others,  while  the  regular  officials  may  have  general  control, 
they  must  employ  an  engineer  or  skilled  superintendent.  In 
every  instance  an  attempt  is  made  to  remedy  the  defects  of 
the  usual  road  machinery  by  which  no  skilled  supervision  is 
provided,  and  which  it  is  realized  is  necessary  when  the 
proposition  is  to  spend  a  comparatively  large  sum  of  money 
on  few  miles  of  road. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  59 

This  class  of  legislation  includes  the  provisions  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  special  road  districts  and  organizations  to 
spend  particular  bond  issues.  They  vary  from  a  road  system 
for  a  county  to  the  formation  of  a  restricted  district  for  the 
improvement  of  but  a  single  road.  Usually  the  work  to  be 
done  and  the  amount  of  money  to  be  spent  are  submitted  for 
approval  to  the  electors  resident  within  the  area  from  which 
the  funds  are  to  be  raised,  many  laws  providing  that  only 
voters  who  are  property  taxpayers  are  entitled  to  vote. 

Organization  Provided  Usually  Short-Lived. — The  organ- 
ization provided  by  most  of  these  laws  exists  only  during  the 
period  of  construction.  Thus  the  skilled  control  which  these 
special  laws  secure  in  a  varying  degree,  at  most  extends  but  a 
short  period. 

Beyond  providing  means  for  raising  revenue  and  the  ma- 
chinery for  expending  the  same,  little  or  no  thought  has  been 
given  them.  No  provision  is  made  for  continuing  mainte- 
nance. No  fixed  income  is  provided  on  which  to  make  plans 
for  future  work.  No  definite  information  is  collected  on 
which  to  base  estimates  for  such  an  income.  Long-term 
bonds  are  thoughtlessly  voted  for  short-lived  structures.  The 
simplest  fundamental  economic  principles  are  violated  with- 
out giving  them  a  thought. 

To  be  sure,  the  selection  of  roads  to  be  improved  is  gen- 
erally good  in  so  far  as  they  are  roads  locally  well  traveled. 
This  is  more  apt  to  be  true  in  those  cases  where  the  road 
district  is  of  considerable  area  than  where  the  proposition  is 
for  the  improvement  of  but  a  single  stretch  of  road,  in  which 
case  it  frequently  happens  that  many  in  a  community  not 
immediately  concerned  in  the  road  in  question  are  taxed  for  a 
portion  of  its  cost. 

It  is  to  be  seen  that  grave  defects  exist.  Due  to  the  tem- 
porary character  of  the  organization  brought  into  existence 
little  or  no  study  can  be  made  of  the  situation,  and  what  is 
most  serious  no  adequate  provision  is  made  for  the  upkeep  of 
the  roads  that  are  constructed.  These  special  roads  are  us- 
ually of  quite  a  different  type  of  construction  from  the  ordi- 
nary roads  of  the  neighborhood  but  are  nevertheless  turned 
over  to  the  care  of  local  road  officials. 

Road  Development  Requires  Broad  Study. — Proper  road 
development  today  requires  the  careful  consideration  of  eco- 
nomic conditions  over  a  comparatively  wide  area.  There 
must  be  a  careful  study  made  to  secure  a  road  system  such  as 
will,  when  completed,  meet  the  traffic  needs  and  for  the  con- 
struction of  which  a  carefully  considered  plan  for  the  distri- 
bution of  cost  has  been  worked  out. 

The  spasmodic  and  localized  road  improvement  attempts 
can  fit  into  such  a  scheme  only  by  accident.  Sometimes  the 


«0  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

wrong  road  is  chosen;  other  times  it  is  not  properly  dimen- 
sioned; but  in  any  event  little  or  no  thought  is  given  to  the 
part  the  road  will  play  in  a  comprehensive  road  development 
plan. 

More  often  error  is  found  in  the  type  of  construction  se- 
lected. With  so  many  kinds  of  construction,  each  calling  for 
special  materials,  all  of  which  are  actively  advertised,  the 
result  frequently  is  the  adoption  of  a  type  of  pavement  which 
represents  not  what  is  best  for  the  road  but  what  company 
employed  the  most  persuasive  salesman. 

Bad  Engineering  Practices. — It  might  be  thought  that  as 
most  of  these  laws  usually  provide  for  the  employment  of  an 
engineer  supposed  to  be  skilled  in  road  construction,  there 
could  be  no  serious  blunder  made  as  to  the  type  or  manner 
of  building  the  road. 

Due  however  to  the  essentially  temporary  character  of  the 
employment  afforded  and  to  a  lack  of  understanding  in  the 
minds  of  the  people  generally  as  to  the  necessity  for  securing 
high  grade  service,  there  have  arisen  practices  by  which 
apparently  some  small  saving  is  made  but  which  prove  most 
wasteful.  • 

The  shrewd,  careful  men  usually  selected  to  have  adminis- 
trative control  of  these  special  road  enterprises  have  had  no 
experience  whatever  in  road  construction  work  and  believe 
they  pursue  a  very  commendable  course  when  they  auction 
off  the  engineering,  giving  it  to  the  engineer  who  will  take 
the  job  for  the  least  money.  This  short-sighted  policy,  sav- 
ing perhaps  a  few  hundred  dollars,  costs  the  taxpayers  paying 
for  the  special  work  many  thousands  of  dollars  through  the 
honest  but  misguided  management  of  the  men  selected  to 
safeguard  their  interests. 

The  selection  of  the  proper  type  of  road  is  far  more  of  a 
scientific  problem  today  than  it  was  twenty  years  ago.  The 
changed  traffic  conditions  which  make  it  difficult  to  select  the 
type  of  road,  make  it  also  impossible  when  determining  the 
roads  to  be  improved,  to  consider  but  a  small  area. 

Conclusions. — It  is  evident  that  if  a  locality  is  to  bond  itself 
for  road  construction  the  greatest  benefit  can  accrue  to  such 
locality  only  if  it  chooses  wisely  both  as  to  the  location  and 
the  character  of  the  work  to  be  done.  These  questions  re- 
quire broad  experience,  and  local  effort  has  not  been  equal  to 
the  task.  There  must  be  provided  by  the  state  a  department 
capable  to  advise  and  direct  localities  and  with  authority  to 
prevent  unwise  expenditures  as  well  as  to  supervise  necessary 
improvements. 

If  the  proper  administrative  methods  are  to  be  made  pos- 
sible there  must  be  abolished  a  vast  number  of  small  inde- 
pendent units  which  now  exist,  with  their  horde  of  minor 
officials  selected  by  ballot. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  61 

In  general  there  must  be  reposed  in  a  central  state  depart- 
ment power  to  make  rules  and  regulations  which  now  consti- 
tute a  great  bulk  of  legislative  enactment,  too  often  the  re- 
sults of  trading  and  political  expediency. 

The  central  authority  should  be  charged  with  the  develop- 
ment of  policies  for  the  expenditure  of  all  road  revenues. 
Such  a  department  to  be  effective  must  be  freed  from  political 
manipulation  and  skilled  men  retained  in  control  so  that  a 
continuing  policy  may  be  possible. 

Road  work  is  no  longer  a  neighborhood  concern  and  can 
not  successfully  be  so  administered  but  must  be  controlled  by 
a  properly  organized,  strong  central  authority. 


CHAIRMAN  PRATT:  Is  there  any  discussion  on  this 
paper?  If  not  we  will  go  to  the  sixth  subject,  and  Mr.  C.  L. 
MacKenzie,  who  is  connected  with  the  Tri-State  Good 
Roads  Association,  will  read  a  paper  that  relates  -to  the 
first  phase  of  that  subject,  the  ."National  Responsibility," 
in  other  words,  the  question  of  federal  aid.  (Applause.) 

MR.  MACKENZIE:  I  am  sorry  to  state  that  I  am  not 
an  officer  of  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads  Association,  but 
am  affiliated  with  that  body,  as  I  am  the"  President  of  the 
Washington  State  Good  Roads  Association.  This  paper 
that  I  have  was  prepared  hastily  by  myself  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  delivering  it  before  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads  As- 
sociation, but  I  was  requested  by  Major  Crosby  to  give  it 
to  you  and  I  will  proceed  to  discuss  the  question  as  outlined 
by  your  chairman. 


Federal  Aid  to  Rural  Districts 

By  C.  L.  MacKENZIE 
President,  Washington  State  Good  Roads  Association 

It  is  an  inspiration  to  those  of  us  who  have  the  road  ques- 
tion at  heart  to  participate  in  the  deliberations  of  such  a  body 
as  this.  Your  sincere  and  earnest  attention  to  the  discussions 
that  have  taken  place  here  and  your  interested  participation 
in  the  deliberations  of  this  body,  prove  to  me  that  the  road 
question  means  more  in  a  material  and  financial  sense  to  the 
people  of  these  United  States  than  any  question  before  them 
at  the  present  time,  grape  juice  and  gunpowder  notwithstand- 
ing, and  our  meeting  here  should  result  in  great  good  to  every 
community  represented. 

It  is  always  a  pleasure  to  be  in  California,  in  any  capacity. 
The  hand  shake  from  your  native  son  warms  the  cockles  of 
one's  heart  and  brings  the  joy  of  living  home  to  one  in  the 
fullest  sense.  You  feel  more  friendly  toward  the  world  as 


62  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

soon  as  you  get  on  California  soil.  Your  hospitality,  your 
kindness  and  your  welcome,  make  us  feel  indeed  that  San 
Francisco,  your  exposition  city,  is  the  grandest  city  in  the 
universe  and  I  believe  I  am  only  echoing  the  sentiment  of 
everyone  here  when  I  say  that  we  appreciate  more  than  we 
can  express  the  many  kind  things  that  have  been  said  to  us 
and  done  for  us  since  we  arrived  within  the  confines  of  your 
commonwealth.  California  climate  is  an  asset,  her  golden 
grains,  her  luscious  fruits  and  her  nuggets  of  gold  are  as- 
sets, but  above  all  these,  as  a  halo  of  glory,  is  the  kindness 
and  the  hospitality  of  her  people,  and  we  of  Washington  are 
glad  indeed  that  we  can  claim  neighborship  on  the  north  and 
bask  thereby  in  the  sunlight  of  your  reflected  glory. 

I  wish  here  to  say,  that  in  the  development  of  our  road 
system,  every  road  points  toward  your  golden  shores.  The 
highways  that  we  have  built,  and  the  highways  that  we  are 
going  to  build  in  the  future,  are  investments  that  we  are 
making,  to  bring  the  greatest  returns  to  those  who  will  use 
them;  to  the  traveling  public,  and  to  the  tourist.  And  what 
richer  harvest  could  he  make  than  the  views  he  would  see, 
the  inspiration  he  would  gain  and  the  rest  and  pleasure  he 
would  receive  from  a  trip  starting  with  the  mysteries  of  the 
famous  Yellowstone,  across  our  state,  past  majestic  Mount 
Rainier,  down  the  beautiful  Columbia  River,  along  the  shores 
of  the  boundless  Pacific  Ocean  to  the  glad  land  of  California 
where  the  sun  ever  shines  and  where  the  milk  of  human  kind- 
ness ever  flows  free. 

A  little  word  of  advertising  for  our  own  state  and  for  our 
Highway  Department.  We  are  spending  in  our  state  seven 
or  eight  million  dollars  a  year  for  roads.  This  program  has 
been  followed  faithfully  for  the  past  three  years  and  we  hope 
to  follow  it  for  twenty  more.  The  following  figures  are  fur- 
nished me  by  James  Allen,  chief  engineer  of  our  highway 
department,  showing  in  a  definite  way  what  we  are  doing: 

Expenditures,  State  Highway  Fund  and  Permanent  High- 
way Fund,  from  April  1,  1913,  to  April  1,  1915,  $4,442,262.00. 
Mileage  constructed  during  same  period,  576;  State  road  mile- 
age under  contract,  August  19,  1915,  300;  permanent  highways 
under  contract  August  1,  1915,  197  miles.  Total  contract 
price,  $1,219,256.00.  Total  road  mileage  in  State,  approxi- 
mately, 37,000,  divided  about  as  follows: 

Unimproved  earth  roads   24,050 

Plank  and  corduroy  200' 

Improved  earth  roads  8,500 

Graveled  roads    3,700 

Pavements 550 

Total  appropriation  for  State  Road  construction,  1915-16, 
$2,230,925.00. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  63 

Total  appropriation  for  Permanent  Highway  construction, 
1915-16,  $4,000,000.00. 

Funds  for  the  construction  of  state  roads  are  raised  by  a 
general  tax  of  one  mill,  yielding  about  $1,030,000  per  year. 
Funds  for  the  construction  of  permanent  highways  are 
raised  by  a  general  tax  of  one  and  one-half  mills,  and  amount 
to  $1,500,000.  Besides  this  we  expended  county  road  funds 
during  1914  as  follows: 

Road  and  Bridge  Funds ,..$2,345,535.00 

Road  District  Funds  3,113,595.00 

Or  a  total  of  a  little  over  $.8,000,000  for  the  year. 

Bond   Issue,    1914-1915: 

King  County  $3,000,000 

Clallam  County 300,000 

Skamania  County 210,000 

Wahkiakum  County   75,000 

This  year  finishes  our  first  improved  highway,  connecting 
the  eastern  and  western  portions  of  the  state.  In  my  county, 
the  county  of  Whitman,  and  in  the  neighboring  county  of 
Spokane,  our  present  mileage  of  improved  highways,  over 
those  of  three  years  ago,  show  an  increase  of  one  thousand 
per  cent.  Ninety-five  per  cent,  of  all  this  work  is  paid  for  as 
it  is  done,  our  plan  being  a  public  highway  tax  spent  under 
the  direction  of  the  state  highway  commission  and  a  per- 
manent highway  tax  spent  by  the  county  commissioners,  co- 
operating with  the  state  highway  commission.  We  claim 
that  we  are  in  the  front  rank  of  road  building  states,  and 
that  per  capita,  we  are  spending  as  much,  if  not  more  than 
any  other  state  in  the  union,  for  the  purpose  of  building  im- 
proved highways. 

There  are  many  reasons  why  this  is  so.  Washington  is  a 
state  of  many  and  varied  resources,  all  of  a  staple  character. 
We  farm,  we  mine  coal,  we  produce  lumber  and  we  produce 
fish  and  all  in  quantities  that  compare  favorably  with  the 
production  of  any  other  state.  My  county,  the  county  of 
Whitman,  is  purely  an  agricultural  county  and  was  fourth 
in  the  United  States  last  year  in  the  production  of  agricul- 
tural products.  Our  citizenship  is  of  a  high  type,  aggressive 
and  highminded,  and  believe  in  good  roads  and  believe  in  get- 
ting them  now,  during  our  life  time,  when  we  are  at  an 
age  when  we  can  enjoy  them.  Another  reason  why  we  are 
making  su'ch  wonderful  progress  in  the  building  of  improved 
highways  is  that  we  have  as  a  citizen  of  our  state  the  man 
whom  I  believe  today  is  the  foremost  road  builder  in  the 
world,  a  man  who  has  just  celebrated  his  fortieth  year  in 
the  road  building  movement.  He  has  spent  over  half  a 
million  dollars  of  his  own  personal  funds  in  the  furthering 


64  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

of  our  worthy  cause.  He  has  vitalized  the  movement  for 
improved  highways  in  our  state  for  the  past  fifteen  years. 
His  ideas  at  present  are  the  prevailing  ones  in  the  improved 
highway  work  in  our  neighboring  state  of  Oregon.  He  is 
the  active  spirit,  the  originator  of,  and  the  man  behind  the 
gun  on  the  Pacific  Highway,  an  improved  road  now  under 
construction  from  Alaska  to  Mexico.  I  refer  to  Mr.  Samuel 
Hill  of  Maryhill,  Washington,  and  our  kindest  word  is  the 
testimonial  we  offer  him. 

In  discussing  "Federal  Aid  to  Rural  Districts,"  I  am  going 
to  assume  that  the  topic  means  financial  aid  from  federal 
funds,  and  it  is  a  paradox  that  this  question  was  to  be  the  one 
suggested  as  a  topic  for  discussion  by  myself,  before  your 
honorable  body,  because  you  are  supposed  to  boost  the  propo- 
sition, if  you  live  in  the  country  as  I  do,  but  I  have  always 
opposed  the  federal  government  going  directly  into  the  road 
building  game.  I  believe  in  the  most  miles  of  public  high- 
way, and  in  the  highest  type  of  their  improvement.  I  believe 
in  getting  the  most  miles  of  good  highway  by  any  means 
available,  by  accepting  free  aid  in  their  development  and 
building,  in  prodding  the  local  taxpayer  for  money  with 
which  to  build  them.  Yet  I  do  not  think  I  am  in  favor  of 
the  federal  government  going  directly  into  the  road  build- 
ing game,  outside  of  the  National  Park  roads,  as  I  have  al- 
ways been  afraid  it  would  create  an  immense  "pork  barrel," 
if  the  federal  government  appropriated  large  sums  for  the 
direct  building  of  roads,  and  under  the  "pork  barrel"  system 
they  are  inclined  to  build  roads  for  political  needs,  or  for. 
any  other  service  than  that  of  serving  traffic.  We  have  had 
many  road  fights  in  our  state  over  the  location  of  state  high- 
ways and  their  underlying  cause  was  usually  some  politician 
trying  to  steal  the  bacon.  A  politician  would  have  it  here 
or  there,  or  anywhere  where  it  would  please  the  most  voters, 
irrespective  of  the  traffic  needs,  or  of  the  geography  of  the 
country.  There  are  politicians  who  would  run  a  road  over 
a  seventy,  degree  hill,  if  each  degree  gave  him  a  vote.  All 
of  the  bills  now  before  congress,  and  there  are  a  mass  of 
them,  carry  immense  sums  of  money  for  the  development 
of  our  highways.  I  will  not  go  into  an  analysis  of  any  of 
them  now,  as  money  spending  is  their  main  feature,  the 
method  only  differing. 

I  look  upon  the  building  of  our  highways  in  the  nature  of 
an  economic  problem.  I  look  upon  it  as  a  problem  to  be 
met  and  solved  by  the  people  of  the  community  where  the 
road  is  to  be  built.  Ninety  per  cent,  of  the  traffic  over  all 
roads  is  the  local  traffic,  then  why  shouldn't  the  local  man 
originate  the  improvement.  In  my  county  the  question  of 
improved  highways  presents  itself  to  me,  and  to  all  those 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  65 

who  think  of  improved  highways,  as  an  economic  necessity. 
Our  county  was  fourth,  as  I  have  told  you,  last  year  in  the 
production  of  agricultural  products  among  the  counties  of 
the  United  States.  We  will  produce  this  year  fifteen  million 
bushels  of  grain.  This  grain  is  handled  in  sacks  and  we 
have  had  for  twenty  years  a  fixed  price  for  the  hauling  of 
this  crop.  It  gives  us  one  cent  per  mile  per  sack,  20  cents 
per  ton  per  mile  to  haul  our  grain  to  the  shipping  point. 
Fifteen  million  bushels  of  grain  mean  7,500,000  sacks.  A 
one  mile  haul  would  cost  $75,000,  and  a  six  mile  haul,  which 
is  the  average  haul  in  our  county,  would  cost  six  times  that, 
or  $450,000,  the  annual  traffic  charge  against  our  grain  crop 
for  hauling  from  the  farm  to  the  shipping  point.  Now,  with 
improved  highways  and  auto  trucks,  loads  could  be  doubled 
and  quadrupled  and  the  hauling  hours  be  lengthened  to 
twenty-four  and,  without  a  question  of  doubt,  the  cost  of 
hauling  could  be  cut  squarely  in  two.  This  thought  alone 
in  these  days  of  close  figuring  on  costs  makes  good  roads  an 
economic  necessity,  leaving  out  all  of  the  other  factors  of 
pleasure,  accessibility  to  towns  and  schools,  ease  of  horses, 
etc. 

The  sentiment  for  good  roads  is  now  general  in  every  com- 
munity and  the  improved  roads  are  being  produced  just  as 
fast,  if  not  faster,  than  the  development  of  types.  In  my 
opinion,  forty  per  cent,  of  the  money  appropriated  for  good 
roads  at  the  present  time  is  wasted.  Roads  costing  ten 
thousand  dollars  per  mile  are  being  built  wholesale,  that  go 
to  pieces  the  first  year.  A  type  of  road,  the  road  that  gives 
value  received  for  the  money  expended  is  not  nearl}'  as  easy 
to  furnish  as  the  money  to  build  it  with,  and  the  development 
of  types  is  not  nearly  keeping  pace  with  the  feverish  desire 
to  build.  A  federal  road  fund,  or  "pork  barrel"  for  road 
politicians,  would  build  extravagant  roads  where  they  are 
not  needed  and  in  my  opinion  .work  against  the  real  interests 
of  the  good  roads  movement.  Very  often  under  these  condi- 
tions, the  type  selected  would  be  one  that  pleased  the  con- 
tractor, rather  than  the  taxpayer.  A  federal  fund  for  dis- 
bursement for  improved  highways  would  mean  state  against 
state,  county  against  county,  town  against  town  and  the 
politicians  running  off  with  the  road  while  the  real  users 
were  fighting.  The  farmer  is  a  factor  in  the  business  of 
this  country,  and  the  volume  of  his  business  and  his  per- 
sonality are  sufficient  factors  to  handle  the  road  question  in 
any  rural  district,  when  the  farmer  is  properly  educated  and 
his  energies  pointed  in  the  right  direction. 

Our  property  value  jn  the  United  States  at  the  present 
time  runs  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
billion  dollars  and  the  property  value  of  the  farmer,  or  the 
value  of  all  farm  property  in  the  United  States  at  the  present 


66  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

time  will  run  between  forty  and  fifty  billion  dollars,  about 
one-third  of  our  national  worth.  His  gross  returns  from  this 
investment  is  between  nine  and  ten  billion  dollars  per  year, 
a  return  of  twenty  to  twenty-five  per  cent,  a  return  equaled 
by  no  other  line  of  business  in  the  United  States.  It  is  true 
that  the  farmer  is  the  great  producer  of  this  country,  and 
the  city  the  great  consumer.  A  great  majority  of  those  who 
live  in  the  city  are  engaged  in  the  consumption,  manipula- 
tion and  distribution  of  the  products  of  the  farm.  Cut  off  the 
production  of  the  farm  and  the  city  would  be  denuded  of  the 
greater  part  of  its  population.  Half  of  the  ten  billion  dollars 
that  the  farmer  gets  for  his  yearly  crop  goes  for  tne  ex- 
pense of  distribution.  One-half  of  the  remainder  goes  for 
the  expense  of  production,  which  leaves  two  and  a  half  bil- 
lion dollars,  net,  as  a  yearly  return,  or  better  than  five  per 
cent,  on  a  forty  billion  dollar  valuation  for  his  property.  It 
is  true  that  the  farmer  furnishes  most  of  the  traffic.  Fifty 
per  cent,  of  the  one  million,  seven  hundred  fifty  thousand 
automobiles  in  the  United  States  are  owned  by  farmers. 

So  I  say  that  the  volume  of  his  business,  his  prosperity 
and  the  fact  that  he  is  largely  caring  for  his  own  traffic 
justifies  one  in  the  conclusion  that  the  local  man  should  be 
asked  to  pay  the  big  end  of  the  consideration"  for  a  road  in 
a  rural  district.  My  idea  is  that  the  desire  for  the  improve- 
ment of  any  highway  should  start  from  where  it  is  going  to 
be  and  be  had  by  those  who  are  going  to  use  it.  Only  those 
people  endure  who  work  out  their  own  destiny,  and  the 
man  who  will  not  do  his  part  in  the  building  of  highways 
that  will  put  three  cents  a  bushel  on  the  price  for  his  grain, 
move  his  home  half  way  to  town,  nearer  schools  and  to  the 
comforts  of  civilization,  is  not  worthy  of  consideration  in 
connection  with  the  road  problem. 

Now,  I  live  in  a  farming  community.  Nearly  all  my  friends 
are  farmers.  Nearly  all  my  business  relations  are  with 
farmers  and  I  know  that  the  farmer  will  do  his  share  and 
will  not  shirk  in  the  building  of  these  rural  highways,  once 
they  get  the  proper  viewpoint  as  to  the  desirability  and  ne- 
cessity of  their  improvement.  The  farmer  today  represents 
the  greatest  dynamic  force  that  this  country  possesses.  As 
an  element  of  aggressive  force  in  our  business  life,  in  defend- 
ing our  country  in  time  of  need,  or  supporting  our  govern- 
mental action  in  any  line,  or  in  cultivating  his  own  develop- 
ment, his  natural  force  is  a  powerful  machine.  Some  time  he 
lacks  a  steering  wheel  and  this  is  what  the  good  roads  man 
can  furnish.  Putting  the  energies  of  the  people  who  live  in 
our  rural  districts  back  of  our  road  movement  will  give  us 
better  roads  and  more  roads  for  less  money  in  less  time  than 
any  other  system.  The  financing  should  be  divided  and  ap- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  67 

portioned,  first  to  those  who  own  property  in  the  immediate 
district  to  be  served  by  the  road  when  it  is  built;  second,  by 
the  county,  or  collective  users;  third,  by  the  state,  and  fourth, 
by  the  federal  government.  And  the  federal  government 
in  extending  aid  should  recognize  no  smaller  political  body 
than  the  state  and  act  with  and  through  the  various  state 
highway  commissions. 

This  is  practically  our  present  method.  The  money  the 
government  has  put  into  the  building  of  roads  is  an  infinitesi- 
mal sum  compared  to  the  sum  that  is  being  spent  each  year 
within  our  borders  by  states  and  counties,  and  the  good  road 
movement  has  prospered  beyond  the  wildest  dreams  in  the 
past  thirty  years.  Each  year  sees  our  mileage  of  improved 
highways  nearly  doubled  and  our  present  system  must  be  a 
good  one,  as  it  brings  each  year  in  the  increased  yearly  de- 
velopment of  highways  its  own  proof  of  efficiency.  Why? 
Because  the  people  are  back  of  the  proposition  of  good  roads 
and  participating  in  it  and  the  burden  of  building  is  kept 
close  to  them  and  they  realize  that  they  must  rely  on  them- 
selves rather  than  some  fellow  three  thousand  miles  away. 

What  has  been  the  history  of  our  good  roads  movement  in 
relation  to  its  support  by  the  Federal  Government?  In  1806 
our  government  made  its  first  appropriation  for  improved 
highways.  This  act  provided  for  a  highway  from  the  At- 
lantic Ocean  to  the  Mississippi  River.  For  thirty-two  years 
this  work  received  the  attention  and  appropriations  of  our 
government.  The  final  appropriation  for  the  development 
of  this  road  came  in  1832  and  it  totaled  up  to  that  time  four- 
teen million  dollars  and  this  total  sum  created  a  road  that 
existed  only  in  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  Maryland, 
an  extreme  mileage  of  possibly  three  hundred  miles.  Gov- 
ernment money  ceased  to  come  for  the  building  of  public 
roads  in  1862  and  until  July,  1892,  improved  highways  were 
forgotten.  The  germ  that  inoculated  this  country  with  the 
good  roads  fever  and  which  has  developed  until  it  reaches 
into  every  section,  was  the  lowly  bicycle.  In  1892  it  appeared 
and  with  its  appearance  came  agitation  for  good  roads.  The 
bicycle  furnished  but  the  inoculation.  The  real  fever  was 
brought  on  by  the  worthy  successor  of  the  bicycle,  the  auto- 
mobile. There  is  nothing  that  brings  the  temperature  of  any 
individual  to  the  boiling  point  in  the  matter  of  good  roaus, 
more  than  a  brand-new,  shining,  up-to-date  automobile,  and 
his  enthusiasm  never  wanes  after  he  has  purchased  one  until 
a  good  road  is  started  somewhere  in  his  neighborhood.  In 
March,  1893,  the  Office  of  Road  Inquiry  was  established  as  a 
department  under  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  the  appropria- 
tion that  year  for  the  support  of  this  office  being  the  mag- 
nificent sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars.  This  office  has  been 


68  FAN-AMERICAN   ROAD   CONGRESS 

continued  up  to  the  present  time,  its  title,,  however,  now  being 
the  Office  of  Public  Roads.  The  annual  appropriation  for 
this  office  has  been  increased  from  time  to  time,  but  the 
direct  appropriation  for  its  support  has  never  exceeded  the 
sum  of  $300,000  per  year.  This  amount  does  not  include  the 
$500,000  per  year  appropriated  for  the  improvement  and  de- 
velopment of  post  roads  by  Congress  in  its  Act  of  August, 
1912,  a  supervision  of  the  expenditure  of  which  money  comes 
under  the  Office  of  Public  Roads.  There  were  two  hundred 
and"seventy-nine  employes  in  the  Office  of  Public  Roads  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  last  year,  the  work  of  the  Government 
Bureau  being  purely  educational.  The  following  statement 
about  covers  their  work: 

"Communities  interested  in  the  improvement  of  roads  are 
recommended  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture to  apply  for  a  lecturer  on  the  subject.  Lecturers  will 
be  -sent  at  the  government's  expense  wherever  there  is  rea- 
son to  believe  that  audiences  will  be  large  enough  to  make 
the  expenditure  of  time  and  money  worth  while.  Whenever 
possible,  it  is,  of  course,  desirable,  for  a  number  of  com- 
munities in  the  same  vicinity  to  make  arrangements  for 
lectures  at  the  same  time,  since  in  this  way  the  traveling 
expenses  for  each  stop  made  by  the  lecturer  are  materially 
reduced. 

"The  number  of  lecturers  at  the  disposal  of  the  department 
is  limited,  and  it  is  not  always  possible  therefore  to  com- 
ply with  every  request.  When  a  lecturer  cannot  be  sent, 
however,  the  department  will  loan  a  set  of  suitable  lantern 
slides  to  any  responsible  local  association  or  individual  who 
will  pay  the  express  charges.  The  only  requirement  is  that 
the  slides  be  made  of  active  and  practical  use  in  the  com- 
munity and  that  they  be  returned  in  good  condition  in  ninety 
days.  In  addition  a  brief  outline  of  a  lecture  to  accompany 
the  slides  will  be  forwarded  on  request. 

"In  addition  to  this  educational  work  the  department  is 
always  ready  to  respond  to  requests  for  practical  assistance 
which  may  take  the  form  of  special  advice  and  inspection, 
superintendence  of  county  roads,  road  surveys,  experimental 
road  work,  bridge  work  or  the  development  of  a  model  sys- 
tem of  highways  for  a  county.  To  obtain  such  assistance 
local  authorities  should  secure  a  blank  form  from  the  Office 
of  Public  Roads  on  which  to  make  application.  Requests 
from  corporate  villages  or  cities  cannot  be  met,  however. 

"Bridge  work  is  one  branch  of  road  building  in  which  the 
department  may  be  of  particular  service  to  local  authorities. 
Typical  designs  have  been  prepared,  and  copies  of  these  can 
be  furnished  on  request.  A  few  minor  alterations  would 
probably  make  such  a  design  suitable  for  special  conditions, 


PAX-AMERICAN   ROAD   CONGRESS  69 

or  an  engineer  may  be  assigned  to  inspect  the  site  and  offer 
suggestions.  In  some  cases  designs  by  bridge  companies 
have  been  reviewed  by  the  department  for  the  benefit  of 
local  officials. 

"Road  materials  are  also  being  continually  tested  by  the 
department  and  the  information  thus  obtained  is  available 
for  any  community  in  doubt  as  to  the  kind  of  road  they 
purpose  to  build.  Similar  tests  can  also  be  secured  on  dust 
layers,  such  as  road  oils  and  tars,  and  the  department  will 
furnish  to  any  one  instructions  as  to  selection  and  shipment 
of  samples.  The  tests  are  made  free  of  charge  when  they 
are  desired  in  connection  with  public  improvements." 

Education,  agitation  and  promulgation  will  do  wonders. 
In  the  last  twenty  and  particularly  the  last  twelve  years, 
since  the  Good  Roads  Bureau  was  created,  against  the  'long 
period  from  1806  to  1861,  the  road  movement  has  gone  ahead 
by  leaps  and  bounds.  Thirty-five  states  today  have  High- 
way Commissions.  It  is  estimated  that  $250,000,000  per  year 
is  being  spent  for  improved  highways  and  our  mileage  of 
improved  highways  has  grown  from  about  three  hundred 
miles  in  1862  to  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  miles 
at  present,  and  practically  all  of  these  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  miles  was  built  in  the  last  twenty-two  years.  Now 
is  this  progress?  And  if  it  is  progress,  have  we  not  devel- 
oped an  A-No.  1  system  for  the  building  of  roads? 

The  local  man  takes  up  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  road  traf- 
fic. He  has  the  energy  and  money  and  becomes  a  better 
citizen  by  having  the  opportunity  of  doing  this  thing  for 
himself  and  his  neighbor,  so  why  not  continue  to  let  him  do 
it?  From  1806  to  1862  our  government  appropriated  $14,- 
000,000  to  build  three  hundred  miles  of  highway.  From  1862 
to  1915  it  has  appropriated  brains,  and  has  built  two  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  miles  of  highway  at  a  cost  not  to  exceed 
two  and  a  half  million  dollars  to  the  federal  government. 
Is  not  this  a  good  plan  and  one  that  is  delivering  the  goods? 

Then  again  there  is  the  question  of  discrimination.  There 
are  more  miles  of  improved  street  paving  in  the  United  States 
today  than  there  are  improved  highways.  I  am  going  to  ven- 
ture the  assertion  that  it  cost  as  much  to  pave  the  streets 
of  our  cities  as  it  will  cost  to  build  the  amount  of  improved 
highways  necessary  to  carry  the  traffic  of  our  country  dis- 
tricts. The  people  who  paid  for  the  paving  of  the  streets 
of  our  cities  had  no  government  aid  and  the  burden  in  many 
instances  fell  upon  those  who  had  no  interest  in  the  traffic. 
There  was  no  complaint.  Our  cities  and  towns  are  univer- 
sally paved  today,  as  it  is  recognized  that  their  financial  and 
civic  life  depends  upon  this  improvement,  and  the  step  from 
the  present  highways,  used  in  handling  our  country  traffic 


70  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

now,  to  improved  highways,  is  just  as  logical  and  just  as  sure 
to  happen  as  was  the  development  from  muddy  streets  to 
pavements,  curbs  and  gutters  in  the  city.  I  say  that  it  would 
be  just  as  proper  for  the  government  to  pave  the  streets  of 
the  city  as  it  would  be  to  pave  the  roads  of  the  country. 

Speaking  now  of  the  federal  government  being  interest- 
ed in  the  way  of  directly  building  roads:  Advice,  educa- 
tion and  assistance  in  the  selection  of  types  is  the  greatest 
aid  that  the  government  can  render  us,  and  if  the  government 
applies  the  energies  of  its  good  roads  office  to  the  deter- 
mining of  proper  types  and  materials  alone,  I  am  satisfied 
that  within  the  next  five  years,  following  their  advice,  we 
will  be  able  to  double  the  mileage  of  improved  highways  in 
the  United  States  for  the  same  money  we  now  spend,  that 
we  will  be  able  to  cut  the  present  cost  per  mile  in  half,  and 
to  avoid  the  building  of  types  that  lack  the  qualities  of  sta- 
bility and  endurance  when  subjected  to  traffic.  Spirit,  or 
will  to  do,  will  always  accomplish  more  than  money,  on  any 
given  proposition.  "Where  there's  a  will,  there's  a  way" 
and  when  the  individual  initiative  of  the  great  American 
citizen  is  aroused,  leave  it  to  him  to  complete  the  task.  All 
He  requires  is  guidance,  advice  and  education.  His  energy  is 
always  present  in  superabundant  quantity. 

In  proof  of  this  assertion,  I  am  going  to  refer  to  one  of 
the  beauty  spots  of  this  great  state  of  California.  Good  to 
look  upon,  but  bad  to.  travel  over.  A 'county  that  I  am  told 
is  sometimes  disowned  by  both  California  and  Oregon,  on 
account  of  its  backward  spirit  in  the  matter  of  improving 
highways,  and  I  have  heard  it  referred  to  as  the  seat  of  the 
anti-good  roads  sentiment  in  the  United  States.  I  refer  to 
Del  Norte  county,  the  northernmost  county  of  this  state. 
In  1856,  when  the  people  on  this  coast  were  few  and  far  be- 
tween, a  pioneer  placer  miner,  Pierre  Gasquet,  settled  in 
this  county.  In  order  to  get  his  supplies  from  the  Rogue 
River  Valley  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  he  individually,  through 
his  own  effort  absolutely,  built  an  improved  road  fifty  miles 
long.  Thirty  miles  of  this  road  was  hewn  out  of  the  moun- 
tain side,  from  solid  rock  and  his  road  stands  today  as  one 
of  the  wonders  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  His  crude  hewn  log 
bridges  are  as  rugged  today  as  the  day  they  were  built  and 
this  road  still  carries  the  traffic  in  the  sections  mentioned. 
This  road  would  probably  have  cost  at  the  present  time  be- 
tween four  and  five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  but  Mr.  Gas- 
quet, by  using  Chinese  labor  and  a  little  black  powder,  and 
having  the  will  to  do,  built  this  highway  entirely  through  his 
own  energies.  One  man  built  this  road  sixty  years  ago,  estab- 
lished it  and  kept  it  in  first  class  condition.  Today  there  are 
.  three  thousand  people  living  in  Del  Norte  County  and  yet 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  71 

they  are  not  capable,  or  interested  enough  to  give  the  road 
even  proper  maintenance  and  it  is  very  poorly  kept  at  the 
present  time,  and  until  a  few  years  ago  was  practically  im- 
passable. At  present,  sixty  years  later,  the  total  improved 
highways  of  the  county  consist  of  this  road  of  fifty  miles 
and  another  one  of  forty  miles,  the  latter  running  up  and 
down  the  coast.  The  county  is  not  in  debt  and  is  assessed 
for  $5,000,000.  Eighty  per  cent,  of  the  taxable  property  in 
this  county  is  owned  by  non-residents,  who  would  willingly 
pay  taxes  for  good  roads. 

Notwithstanding  this,  the  people  of  this  county  yet  lack 
the  advice  and  education  necessary  for  them  to  see  the  bene- 
fits of  more  good  roads,  four-fifths  of  the  cost  of  which  would 
be  borne  by  non-residents  of  their  county.  Suppose  that  ten 
of  the  present  three  thousand  inhabitants  of  this  county  had 
the  spark  of  ambition  that  actuated  the  energies  of  old 
Pierre  Gasquet,  how  many  miles  of  improved  highways 
would  they  have  at  the  present  time?  So  that  I  say  it  «s 
purely  a  question  of  the  desire  of  the  individual.  When  you 
create  the  desire  within  an  individual  for  good  roads,  good 
roads  come,  whether  there  lives  in  that  community  one  hun- 
dred persons,  or  ten  thousand  persons.  I  am  merely  citing 
this  incident  of  Del  Norte  County  and  Pierre  Gasquet  as  an 
argument  to  prove  that  the  most  efficient  way  to  get  good 
roads  is  to  build  up  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  individual 
for  good  roads,  and  I  make  the  statement  now  that  the  most 
efficient  assistance  is  that  which  will  help  us  in  the  way  of 
educating  the  individual,  advice  to  the  communities,  assistance 
in  the  selection  of  types,  and  in  the  proper  presentation  to 
the  people  of  this  land,  of  the  many  benefits  that  come  to 
them  following  the  development  of  good  roads  in  their  com- 
munity and  the  results  will  be  tenfold  as  against  the  govern- 
ment spending  its  funds  directly  for  the  actual  building.  As 
soon  as  any  community  sees  the  light*  development  work 
starts  immediately,  and  as  in  the  instance  cited  above,  if 
there  is  only  one  man  involved  and  he  has  the  right  spirit, 
the  right  will  and  the  right  desire,  he  will  make  his  roads 
alone,  if  there  is  none  to  help  him. 

This  good  road  movement  has  been  our  doing,  yours  and 
mine.  It  is  our  propaganda.  We  are  the  parent  of  the  child 
and  responsible  for  its  proper  direction.  Money  is  being 
spent  like  water  all  over  the  country  to  build  improved  high- 
ways. Half  of  it  is  being  wasted  and  our  responsibility,  now 
that  we  have  aroused  our  people  to  where  they  are  willing 
to  spend  their  money  like  drunken  sailors  for  roads,  is  to 
see  that  they  do  not  throw  it  into  the  bay,  which  the  building 
of  many  types  of  roads  now  selected  in  various  communities 
amounts  to.  This  responsibility  is  ours.  We  are  the  only 


72  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

people  to  whom  the  spenders  of  this  money  can  look  for 
direction.  The  government  through  the  Office  of  Public 
Roads  with  its  facilities  for  investigating  all  road  materials, 
all  road  locations,  and  for  keeping  a  history  of  traffic  devel- 
opment on  roads  constructed,  can  direct  us  along  safe  chan- 
nels in  the  matter  of  kind  of  roads  to  build  and  ultimately 
absolutely  eliminate  mistakes  and  save  the  taxpayers  ten 
dollars  for  every  dollar  that  it  costs  to  maintain  the  office. 

My  state  in  its  expenditure  of  seven  million  dollars  a  year 
has  stumbled  blindly  along,  sometimes  getting  good  roads 
and  sometimes  poor  ones,  but  always  getting  roads,  because 
we  have  kept  our  propaganda  going,  but  the  solemn  duty  of 
every  good  roads  member  is  to  study  building  and  road  mate- 
rials and  to  have  the  courage  to  disapprove  any  type  of  road 
that  he  believes  will  not  stand  up.  This  in  my  notion  is 
our  greatest  responsibility  in  connection  with  the  entire  road 
movement  at  this  time. 

This  good  roads  movement  has  taken  hold  of  our  people 
in  such  a  way  that  the  problem  will  never  terminate  until 
every  highway  in  the  United  States  now  used  is  improved. 
There  is  not  a  city,  or  a  hamlet,  or  a  village  in  the  United 
States  that  does  not  now  have  paving.  Twenty  years  ago 
very  few  of  the  smaller  villages  had  paving.  The  improve- 
ment of  our  cities  followed  as  a  natural  development  of  the 
modern  demands  of  business  and  living.  Twenty  years  ago 
I  moved  to  my  present  home  in  Colfax,  Washington,  a  city 
of  four  thousand,  situated  in  a  climate  where  the  rainfall  is 
excessive  in  the  winter.  During  four  or  five  months  our 
streets  became  almost  impassable.  Ten  years  ago,  without 
opposition,  our  streets  were  paved  with  macadam.  This 
lasted  four  years.  Then  without  opposition  followed  the  re- 
placing of  this  rough,  worn  out,,  water  bound  macadam  by 
smooth  surface,  up-to-date  paving,  with  streets  properly 
bounded  by  curb  and  gutters.  There  was  no  opposition  and 
there  is  not  a  single  citizen  who  would  consent  for  any  rea- 
son to  go  back  to  our  old  condition  of  living  in  the  mud. 
They  said  the  cost  of  these  improvements,  before  they  were 
made,  would  be  absolutely  prohibitive,  yet  they  were  made 
without  being  burdensome  to  anyone.  This  development  has 
taken  place  in  practically  every  town  and  hamlet  in  the  United 
States  and  so  will  it  happen  in  the  country.  Therefore,  our 
greatest  responsibility  and  our  greatest  care  and  need  at  the 
present  time,  as  I  said  before,  is  so  to  direct  the  activities 
of  those  engaged  in  the  active  construction  of  these  roads, 
that  instead  of  having  the  expense  of  building  twice,  as  many 
towns  had  to  do  in  paving,  and  as  we  had  to  in  our  town, 
there  will  be  but  the  one  building  necessary  and  that  a 
building  that  will  endure  forever. 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD   CONGRESS  73 

Just  a  word  further  on  the  road  question  as  it  affects  me 
and  my  community.  I  live  in  a  rural  community.  All  the 
interests  are  purely  agricultural.  I  have  always  been  an  en- 
thusiast for  good  roads.  I  am  a  banker  and  have  frequently 
fallen  out  with  my  orthodox  brothers  in  that  I  am  always 
willing  to  loan  money  to  a  customer  to  buy  an  automobile, 
if  his  credit  is  good,  as  it  is  sure  to  make  a  road  booster 
out  of  him. 

I  am  an  enthusiast  for  two  reasons.  First,  I  en- 
joy good  roads.  Second,  getting  a  man  interested  in  the 
good  roads  movement  makes  a  better  citizen  of  him.  When 
our  town  was  living  in  the  mud  and  grimy  conditions  be- 
fore being  paved,  a  man  was  careless  of  his  appearance.  As 
the  improvements  reached  the  residence  districts,  the  lawns 
were  brightened,  flowers  came  into  bloom,  fences  were  fixed 
up,  houses  were  painted  and  the  good  man  was  a  little  more 
careful  about  his  clothes  and  his  personal  cleanliness  and 
appearance.  His  mind  was  on  the  appearance  of  thmgs  and 
when  you  once  center  the  mind  of  an  individual  on  the  ap- 
pearance of  things,  you  make  a  better  man  of  him,  because 
if  he  is  clean  on  the  outside,  he  will  also  be  a  little  cleaner 
on  the  inside. 

When  a  farming  community  gets  good  roads,  as  you 
go  from  the  pavement  of  your  city  onto  the  broad 
winding  boulevard  to  the  country,  you  will  note  the  im- 
provement in  the  houses  on  the  farms  that  are  adjacent  to 
the  improved  highway.  Barns  are  painted,  the  fences  are 
good,  the  machinery  shining,  the  stock  looks  more  contented. 
They  are  better  stock.  Some  thought  has  been  given  to 
their  selection  and  if  you  turn  in  the  roadway  to  the  man's 
door,  he  comes  to  meet  you  with  a  smile  on  his  face  and 
with  a  real  welcome,  because  he  has  become  more  broad 
minded  and  he  is  really  glad  to  see  you.  After  he  got  an 
anto  and  had  good  roads  to  travel  over,  his  community  was 
enlarged.  He  met  people  in  different  walks  of  life  and  his 
associates  were  not  limited  to  his  farmer  friends.  He  found, 
as  men  who  travel  about  will,  that  all  men  are  brothers, 
that  the  spirit  of  good  will  exists  in  all  walks  of  life,  that 
the  rich  and  poor,  the  great  and  the  small  should  have  one 
idea  of  living  and  that  is  to  make  life  more  pleasant  for  the 
other  fellow  and  thereby  for  himself.  He  becomes  a  better 
man  to  do  business  with.  His  ability  to  go  to  church  is 
widened.  His  children  attend  school.  His  wife  is  able  to 
appear  more  daintily  gowned.  She  is  able  to  take  her  place 
with  her  sisters  who  live  in  the  city,  as  far  as  appearance 
is  concerned,  and, her  husband  is  more  proud  of  her.  So  it 
makes  the  city  and  the  country  more  homogeneous,  a  united 
country,  one  people  and  the  love  of  mankind  over  all. 


74  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

CHAIRMAN    PRATT:      Mr.    MacKenzie's    paper   is    now 
up  for  discussion. 


Discussion   by   C.  A.  Kenyon. 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen:  While  this  is  a  very  im- 
portant and  a  very  able  paper,  I  must  confess  that  the  gen- 
eral principle  of  it  runs  counter  to  most  of  the  papers  that 
have  previously  been  read  upon  this  question.  I  find  it  also 
runs  counter  to  my  own  ideas  upon  this  subject.  If  you 
leave  to  the  local  community,  to  each  little  community,  to 
the  man  who  lives  alongside  of  the  road,  the  building  of 
the  road,  all  of  this  stuff  about  having  a  commission, 
about  having  a  centralized  power,  about  having  expert  di- 
rection, is  all  gone.  I  put  that  up  to  you  strongly  from 
personal  experience.  I  live  in  Indiana.  Indiana  has  the 
most  localized  government,  especially  in  regard  to  roads, 
that  there  is  in  any  state  in  America.  I  have  had  the  op- 
portunity to  see  its  workings  there,  and  if  you  will  bear 
with  me  a  few  minutes,  I  am  going  to  tell  you  a  little  bit  of 
how  it  works  there. 

Indiana  has  an  area  of  thirty-five  thousand  square  miles. 
It  is  largely  an  agricultural  state.  We  have  some  coal  mines 
and  some  stone  quarries,  but  gravel  is  almost  everywhere. 
Whereas  the  great  state  of  California  here  has  over  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  square  miles,  I  am  informed  by 
the  Department  of  Agriculture  that  there  is  only  about 
forty-three  thousand  square  miles  of  that  that  you  can  call 
in  farming  condition.  The  rest  of  it  is  mountainous  and 
has  difficulties  connected  with  it  that  we  don't  have.  So 
that  we  have  every  advantage  that  would  come  about  from 
the  system  that  he  speaks  of.  Well,  what  is  the  result? 
We  have  what  they  call  in  the  East  the  township  govern- 
ment. The  state  takes  no  concern  about  roads.  They  have 
no  officer  of  any  kind,  no  engineer,  no  one.  All  right.  We 
leave  it  to  you.  What  has,  been  the  result?  The  county 
builds  no  roads.  Not  a  road  in  Indiana  has  been  built 
by  the  county,  and  yet  when  you  look  under  the  classification 
01  the  improved  roads  that  is  published  by  the  Department 
of  Agriculture  and  by  the  state  statistician  of  our  own  state, 
we  have  more  miles  of  improved  road  than  any  other  state  in 
the  Union — over  thirty  thousand  miles  of  improved  road. 
Well,  you  would  say  that  bears  out  the  doctrine.  Well,  how 
is  this  done?  Of  course  we  commenced  to  build  roads  back 
in  the  thirties.  Then  the  railroads  came  along  and  we 
thought  we  didn't  need  any  roads,  and  so  we  let  the  roads 
that  had  been  built  and  were  being  built  before  that  go  into 
decay,  because  we  thought  everybody  was  going  to  be  sat- 
isfied with  the  railroad. 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD   CONGRESS  15- 

In  a  little  time  that  era  passed,  and  along  after  the  war 
they  commenced  working  on  the  highways  again.  What  did 
they  do?  They  passed  what  the  farmers  demanded.  They 
said  just  what  he  has  been  saying  now,  that  these  roads 
belong  to  us,  they  run  alongside  of  our  farms,  they  are 
for  the  benefit  of  us  more  than  anybody  else.  We  use 
them  more  than  anybody  else.  Therefore,  we  want  the  con- 
trol of  them.  We  want  the  right  to  build  them.  We  know 
all  about  how  to  build  roads  and  we  don't  want  any  inter 
ference  by  any  state  officer  or  anybody  else.  They  are  ours 
and  we  are  going  to  attend  to  them.  So  they  got  what  they 
called  the  three-mile  gravel  road  law,  which  has  been  amend- 
ed from  time  to  time.  What  does  it  provide?  Whenever 
they  wanted  to  build  a  road  in  any  township  they  got  a 
petition  signed  by  not  less  than  fifty  freeholders  of  that 
township.  Now  there  are  ten  hundred  and  seventeen  town- 
ships in  that  little  state  ,of  thirty-five  thousand  square  miles, 
and  we  have  got  ten  hundred  and  seventeen  units  for  build- 
ing roads  in  that  way.  We  have  ninety-two  counties.  Now, 
when  they  did  start  in — "Well,  we  want  to  get  a  road  along 
here  in  our  township,"  they  will  say.  They  started  out  and 
they  got  all  the  farmers  that  there  were  along  that  road. 
There  are  six,  and  there  they  stuck.  They  were  going  to 
have  one  fine  road  because  traffic  was  pretty  heavy  there 
and  it  was  a  main  road  through  that  township.  What  do 
they  do  then?  They  go  over  to  the  fellow  living  next  North 
and  they  want  him  to  sign  the  petition.  He  would  say, 
"Get  out,  I  am  not  going  to  sign  your  petition  to  build  a 
road  and  have  you  charge  a  part  of  the  cost  on  me.  No, 
sir,  I  will  not  do  it."  "Well,  put  your  road  in  then."  Then 
they  tell  him  if  he  signs  the  petition  they  will  build  the 
road  up  to  his  place.  Then  he  would  say,  "Oh,  well,  if 
you  are  going  to  build  the  road  up  to  my  house,  let  us  have 
the  improvement."  So  they  put  in  his  road,  and  so  they 
go  all  along  the  road.  They  haven't  got  fifty  signers  yet, 
and  they  go  on  to  the  next  and  the  next,  and  while  there 
would  be,  as  you  say,  a  township  six  miles  square,  there 
would  be  six  times  six,  or  thirty-six  roads.  I  know  this 
last  ye?r  in  Marshall  county  they  had  thirty  miles  of  road 
in  one  petition  before  they  could  get  fifty  signers.  They 
had  started  out  with  the  idea  of  having  a  good  permanent 
road  such  as  he  described  that  will  last  forever,  as  some 
of  them  said. 

When  they  got  through  they  found  out  that  the  state  law 
prevented  them  from  bonding  the  township  to  exceed  four 
per  cent.  They  found  out  when  they  came  down  to  it  they 
couldn't  build  this  high-class  road  and  so  they  reduced  it 
from  four  thousand  down  to  three  thousand  and  down  to 


76  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

two  thousand,  and  finally  they  could  only  spend  fifteen  hun- 
dred dollars  per  mile  on  the  road.  They  asked  me  to  come 
up  and  make  a  speech  to  help  them  in  their  vote  on  it.  I 
said,  "Here  is  what  they  call  the  Michigan  Road,  running 
right  through  the  center  of  the  township  where  the  traffic 
is  ten  times  what  it  is  on  these  other  roads."  "Now,  don't 
make  such  a  speech  as  that,  Mr.  Kenyon.  For  God's  sake, 
don't  do  that.  If  you  do  it  will  defeat  the  whole  proposi- 
tion," one  said.  He  said,  "I  am  entitled  to  have  a  good  road. 
I  am  entitled  to  have  just  as  good  a  road  as  any  man  and 
I  am  going  to  take  my  name  off  that  petition  just  the  min- 
ute you  talk  about  putting  a  better  road  in  over  there  than 
I  get  over  here."  This  was  the  extreme  limit  of  the  town- 
ship. The  result  of  it  was  they  carried  the  vote  and  they 
issued  bonds  running  serially  from  one  to  twenty  years. 
What  kind  of  a  road  did  they  get?  Fifteen  hundred  dol- 
lars per  mile  of  road  where  there  was  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty  vehicles  going  through  on  this  main  road. 
It  hadn't  been  built  three  months  before  the  road  almost 
went  to  pieces  because  they  used  cheap  gravel  and  the  traf- 
fic on  the  road  was  heavy.  The  next  man  to  sign  lived  at 
the  end  of  a  three-mile  road.  He  didn't  sign  because  he 
didn't  have  a  road.  They  said,  "Well,  you  are  the  only 
one.  in  there  to  build  this  three  mile  road  for."  He  said, 
"I  am  just  as  good  a  citizen  as  any  other  one  of  you  men 
and  I  am  entitled  to  a  road  just  as  much  as  you  are  en- 
titled to  a  road.  I  want  that.  Yes,  sir."  So  they  agreed 
to  build  the  three  miles  of  road  if  he  would  sign  the  peti- 
tion. They  paid  forty-five  hundred  dollars  for  the  road, 
so  that  man  could  go  to  town  maybe  once  a  week  or  twice 
a  month.  The  bonds  run  for  twenty  years.  They  could 
have  just  built  an  earth  road  which  was  already  there;  but 
no,  one  man  man  was  just  as  good  as  another  and  he  was 
going  to  have  just  as  good  a  road  going  up  to  his  house 
at  the  end  of  the  three  miles  where  there  was  not  another 
place  along  the  line  as  that  main  road,  where  there  was 
traffic  of  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  vehicles 
a  day.  That  is  your  localized  system. 

Now,  when  we  came  up  to  the  administration  of  that  let 
me  take  you  a  step  farther.  They  said,  "What  do  we  want? 
We  are  going  to  have  this  gravel  road.  Now,  we  don't 
want  any  contractor  to  come  in  here  from  any  other  town- 
ship. We  want  it  fixed  so  that  nobody  but  contractors  in 
our  township  can  get  this,  and  we  want  to  use  the  gravel 
in  the  township."  Engineers  said,  "Well,  but  this  gravel 
isn't  very  good,  it  is  too  fine.  You  better  go  to  the  next 
township  to  get  gravel."  "No,  sir.  We  will  have  our  local 
material,  the  material  that  comes  off  our  land.  It  is  going 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD   CONGRESS  77 

to  be  charged  against  us  and  we  are  entitled  to  sell  the 
gravel  for  the  road  even  it  is  a  little  fine."  Then  they  were 
not  going  to  have  any  engineers  except  a  local  man,  and 
someone  suggested  that  the  contractor — there  was  not  any 
contractor  in  the  township  that  had  a  roller — they  were 
looking  over  the  specifications  that  had  been  sent  out  by 
one  of  the  other  counties  which  required  a  ten-ton  roller, 
and  one  said,  "Don't  you  know  very  well  that  there  isn't  a 
ten-ton  roller  in  the  township?  We  demand  that  that  clause 
be  taken  out  of  the  specifications.  What  does  General  Jones' 
roller  weigh?  Well,  it  is  a  five-ton  horse  roller.  Put  it  in 
there."  So  they  demanded  a  five-ton  horse  roller  and  said 
that  the  five-ton  horse  roller  was  just  as  good  as  any  roller 
iu  the  state,  or  any  other  state.  "They  come  here  and  talk 
about  these  experts.  We  know  just  as  much  about  roads 
as  anybody  and  we  don't  want  any  smart  alecks  to  come 
here  and  give  us  any  advice  about  that."  (Applause.) 

That  is  the  way  they  looked  at  the  roads.  They  have  got 
that  four  per  cent,  indebtedness  on  every  piece  of  property 
in  that  township.  Now,  they  have  got  their  state  and  county 
tax  in  addition  to  that,  and  here  is  a  great  highway  that 
half  the  people  in  the  state  are  using  and  if  they  get  this 
Dixie  highway  going,  it  will  be  the  road  that  is  used  right  up 
there  by  all  the  people  from  the  southern  states  going  up 
to  Chicago  and  thousands  of  them  coming  down  from  Chi- 
cago. It  is  our  road  and  it  is  being  worn  out  by  the  people 
in  Illinois,  the  people  in  Kentucky,  the  people  in  Tennessee, 
and  the  people  in  Ohio.  They  built  it  for  fifteen  hundred 
dollars  a  mile,  and  how  long  will  that  road  last?  That  is 
the  problem. 

Isn't  it  a  different  proposition  than  the  mere  matter  of  the 
local?  It  is  the  one  who  uses  it  after  all.  If  the  people 
of  the  country  use  a  certain  line  of  roads  why  shouldn't  all 
the  users  help  pay  for  that  line  of  roads?  And  if  they  do, 
why  shouldn't  the  nation  help  build  a  portion  of  the  high- 
\vay?  We  are  building  roads  up  in  Alaska.  We  are  building 
roads  out  in  the  Philippines.  We  built  a  transportation  sys- 
tem down  in  the  Panama  Canal.  We  are  building  roads  in 
our  other  possessions.  Why  not  use  some  of  that  money 
that  we  are  all  taxed  for  in  the  building  of  roads  in  our  own 
country  for  our  own  people  who  pay  the  taxes  and  use  the 
roads.  So  that  I  am  in  favor  of  having  the  roads  classified, 
and  those  roads  that  are  classified  as  national  highways 
should  be  built  under  supervision  of  the  government  (ap- 
plause), and  those  roads  that  are  largely  used  by  the  state 
let  the  state  build  as  a  state  system,  and  those  that  are  used 
by  the  county  let  them  be  built  by  the  county,  and  those  thai 


78  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

are  used  only  by  the  township  as  neighborhood  roads,  let 
those  people  build  those  roads,  each  one  according  to  the 
traffic  that  goes  over  the  road.  Classify  them  in  regard 
to  the  cost  as  well  as  to  the  distribution  of  expense.  I  sub- 
mit that  to  you  and  ask  you  if  that  is  not  a  better  system. 

We  tried  in  Indiana  to  get  the  counties  to  have  a  state 
engineer  and  to  use  him  for  advice  for  the  preparation  of 
specifications,  for  giving  them  directions  to  help  build  their 
highways.  No,  sir.  Just  the  minute  you  employ  a  state 
man  he  will  app4y  Indianapolis  ideas  and  we  don't  want 
him.  He  will  be  telling  us  that  we  ought  to  use  stone  on 
this  road  when  we  have  got  plenty  of  gravel.  That  is  the 
way  they  talk,  and  when  it  comes  to  repairing  the  road  it 
is  the  same  way.  We  had  an  investigation  last  year  in 
Indiana.  The  governor  appointed  a  commission  to  go  around 
the  state  and  hold  meetings  in  each  congressional  district. 
I  was  on  the  commission  and  the  commission  held  hear- 
ings in  each  local  community,  and  you  would  smile  to  hear 
some  of  the  statements  made  by  the  farmers.  They  came  in 
all  interested  in  it,  but  I  want  to  tell  you  their  ideas  were 
fixed  on  the  subject  and  the  legislation  afterwards  recom- 
mended was  defeated,  as  apparently  the  farmers  didn't  want 
any  interference.  One  farmer  got  up  and  said,  "I  want  to 
give  you  a  little  idea.  When  these  roads  are  built  by  the 
township  by  a  bond  issue  they  are  turned  over  to  the  county 
and  the  county  is  supposed  to  keep  them  in  repair,  and  wha4. 
do  you  think  that  this  county  highway  superintendent  wants 
us  farmers  to  do?  Why,  he  wants  us  to  come  out  and 
work  on  the  roads  in  the  spring  when  we  have  got  to  plant 
our  crops.  We  are  not  going  to  do  any  such  thing*as  that 
We  have  got  plenty  of  time  in  the  fall,  and  furthermore,  I 
want  to  say  1  carme  home  and  found  my  son  getting  one  d.ollar 
and  seventy-five  cents  a  load  for  hauling  gravel,  hauling 
two  loads  a  day.  I  said,  'What?  Charging  the  people  of 
my  county  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents  for  two  loads  of 
gravel?  It  is  an  outrage  on  the  taxpayers  of  the  county 
I  won't  stand  for  it.' " 

When  he  got  through  there  was  a  man  who  came  in  af- 
terwards that  got  up  and  said:  "Look:  here.  I  don't  like 
that;  that  is  not  fair.  Gentlemen,  I  am  the  assistant  superin- 
tendent that  hired  that  man's  team.  Do  you  know  what 
he  wanted?  He  wanted  me  to  hire  three  of  his  teams,  and 
he  wanted  to  haul  from  a  gravel  pit  that  was  close  to  his 
farm  where  there  wasn't  gravel  at  all;  it  was  just  sand. 
I  wouldn't  do  it,  and  the  only  place  that  there  was  gravel 
was  seven  miles  away  and  somewhat  up  hill,  and  lo  and  be- 
hold after  I  had  hired  one  team  instead  of  three,  as  he 
wanted  me  to,  and  he  found  that  it  was  a  seven  mile  straight 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  79 

haul  for  a  load  of  gravel,  and  I  insisted  on  having  the  full 
load,  it  was  pretty  hard  on  the  team  and  it  began  to  pull 
them  down,  and  then  he  got  righteous  and  called  it  off,  and 
now  he  comes  down  here  and  makes  this  kind  of  a  speech 
that  he  is  making  to  you.  He  says  he  wants  that  office 
abolished,  but  am  I  going  to  keep  up  the  roads  if  I  use  sand 
instead  of  gravel  because  it  is  a  close  haul  and  because 
the  farmer  wants  me  to  use  his  team  at  three  and  a  half 
per  day?  Every  farmer  around  there  wants  me  to  wait  until 
fall  when  he  isn't  doing  anything  else.  Can  I  get  them  to 
spread  gravel?  Not  on  your  life  I  can't.  They  are  willing 
to  haul  it  and  dump  it,  but  when  I  want  them  to  get  out  and 
spread  it,  no,  sir,  they  won't  do  it." 

Now,  that  is  the  man  who  got  up  his  righteous  indigna- 
tion and  made  that  sort  of  a  speech  before  the  commission; 
and  there  were  plenty  of  others.  Now,  that  is  the  localized 
system.  What  have  we  got  in  that  state?  We  have  got 
over  thirty-five  millions  of  those  bonds  outstanding,  none  of 
those  against  the  cities,  practically  all  against  the  townships, 
letting  the  city  of  Indianapolis  that  pays  one-twelfth  of  all 
the  taxes  in  the  state,  letting  that  city  off  with  only  forty 
thousand  dollars  of  bonds  against  it,  and  a  little  county  like 
Park  county  with  three  thousand  inhabitants  bonded  for 
eight  hundred  and  seventy  thousand  dollars,  just  by  this 
process  that  he  was  telling  about.  That  is  that  local  thing. 
We  rfave  got  it  in  Indiana  as  they  have  it  in  no  other  state 
in  the  Union,  and  I  am  giving  you  an  idea  of  what  that 
local  method  of  building  roads  produces. 

Now  what  kind  of  roads  have  we  got?  We  have  got 
thirty  thousand  miles  of  road,  but  you  go  out  over  the  roads, 
and  lo  and  behold  you  find  two  deep  ruts.  They  all  drive 
in  the  same  line  and  then  the  water  gets  in  and  sinks  into 
the  foundation  of  the  highway  at  the  center  where  they  have 
dumped  the  gravel  in  it  and  let  the  travel  wear  it  down. 
As  I  was  telling  you  a  moment  ago,  they  don't  want  the 
expert,,  they  want  to  do  it  themselves,  and  as  a  farmer  ex- 
plained it  to  the  commission,  "These  experts  will  tell  you 
that  it  is  necessary  to  spread  the  gravel.  It  is  a  darn  sight 
better  to  let  the  'travel  spread  the  gravel.  You  put  it  in 
the  center  and  as  they  drive  over  the  road  it  pushes  the 
gravel  down  and  then  the  wheel  compacts  it  at  the  edge,  gets 
it  solid  there  and  keeps  wearing  it  down  and  that  outer 
wheel  packs  it  tighter  and  keeps  on  until  you  get  it  packed 
fine."  (Applause.)  I  am  just  quoting  to  you  what  men 
say  under  this  local  system.  We  have  got  about  the  same 
population  in  the  state  of  Indiana  that  you  have  in  Cali- 
fornia. We  commenced  many,  many  years  before  and  when 
I  came  out  here  to  California  and  rode  with  Mr.  Fletcher 


80  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

over  five  hundred  or  six  hundred  miles  of  your  highways 
down  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  I  said,  "I  wish  the 
farmers  of  Indiana  could  come  out  and  see  these  beautiful 
highways  that  were  built  under  the  direction  of  skilled  super- 
vision." 

I  met  a  farmer  on  the  street  one  day.  He  came  up  and 
hit  me  on  the  shoulder  and  he  says,  "Kenyon,  I  want  to 
apologize.  I  have  cussed  you  and  I  cussed  the  highway 
commission  because  you  advocated  better  roads  than  we 
had  in  Indiana.  I  thought  we  had  good  enough  roads,  con- 
sidering the  fact,  too,  that  we  finally  got  the  bill  through 
requiring  all  heavy  automobiles  and  heavy  loads  to  be  pro- 
hibited from  going  over  the  roads  in  wet  weather  (applause) ; 
but  since  I  have  been  oujt  here  visiting  my  daughter  and 
have  been  over  some  of  these  roads  I  feel  like  bowing  my 
head  and  apologizing.  I  promise  you  when  I  go  back  I 
v/ill  go  and  say,  like  Billy  Sunday  says,  I  have  repented. 
There  ain't  anything  that  starts  a  person  on  the  way  to  re- 
form like  a  little  repentance,  and  just  being  frank  about 
if." 

I  just  felt  that  it  was  necessary  to  say  this  much  on  the 
other  side,  where  I  have  had  the  experience.  I  have  been 
studying  and  have  been  interested  in  this  cause  for  twenty 
years.  I  am  not  an  official  of  any  kind  except  that  I  am 
president  of  the  Indiana  Good  Roads  Association,  but  I 
have  never  held  any  office  and  I  draw  no  salary  of  any  kind, 
so  that  my  study  and  information  in  that  way  is  entirely  dis- 
interested. (Applause.) 


EZRA  MEEKER:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  from  Indiana. 
(Laughter.)  Sixty-four  years  ago  I  left  Indiana,  just  a 
little  way  out  of  Indianapolis.  I  want  to  tell  you  a  little  inci- 
dent. It  won't  take  me  very  long.  We  had  a  character 
in  our  neighborhood  we  called  Old  Robey — Robey  was  his 
name.  Well,  in  that  locality  they  wanted  to  get  a  road 
through  his  place  or  along  a  certain  line.  "No,  sir.  You 
can't  come  there."  Well,  I  married  and  left  Indiana  and 
came  out  to  the  Pacific  coast  up  in  Washington.  Wash- 
ington was  made  after  I  got  there.  I  have  lived  there  since, 
but  eighteen  years  afterwards  I  went  back  and  visited  the 
old  place  and  my  old  comrades.  One  of  my  comrades  said 
one  morning,  "I  have  got  to  go  to  Indianapolis.  We  are 
working  on  getting  a  road  through  Robey's  place."  (Ap- 
plause and  laughter.)  Gentlemen,  this  is  an  absolute  fact. 
I  can  shake  hands  with  my  friend  when  he  depicts  Indiana 
scenes.  I  don't  know  whether  to  be  ashamed  of  coming 
fiom  Indiana,  or  proud  of  it.  (Laughter.)  I  know  I  was 
glad  to  get  out  of  it  because  I  couldn't  get  land  there  and 
I  could  get  land  when  I  came  to  Oregon. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  81 

Now,  I  thoroughly  believe  that  we  should  have  govern- 
ment aid  for  roads,  or  rather  have  government  roads.  (Ap- 
piause.)  It  is  a  hobby  of  mine,  they  say,  but  I  am  for 
federal  aid  for  the  trunk  line  road.  I  have  a  scheme  on 
hand  and  I  am  going  to  spend  the  winter  in  Washington  on 
that  very  work  of  striving  to  get  aid  for  a  government  road, 
a  thoroughfare,  a  road  that  shall  reach  from  the  Missouri 
River  to  the  tidewaters  of  the  Pacific  as  a  trunk  line  road 
in  which  the  states  and  nation  shall  be  called  upon  to  co- 
operate. We  are  going  to  strive  to  get  the  government  to 
make  the  survey  and  estimate  of  the  cost  to  the  five  states, 
and  ask  them  to  assume  the  building  and  maintaining  of  that 
road  when  the  states  will  give  the  right-of-way  and  de- 
posit half  of  the  cost,  and  ask  the  government  to  build  that, 
not  only  as  a  thoroughfare  for  the  convenience  of  the  public 
and  the  automobilists,  but  for  military  purposes  and  post 
roads.  .Talk  about  your  preparedness  for  the  defense  of 
our  nation,  we  need  such  roads  for  keeping  the  nation  pre- 
pared; for  the  defense  of  the  nation.  I  have  prepared  a 
paper  on  this  subject  that  I  hope  I  may  read  before  we 
get  through  with  the  congress.  This  matter  has  stirred 
me  up  and  I  feel  so  much  in  accord  with  what  the  speaker 
has  said  that  I  couldn't  hold  in.  (Applause). 

MR.  MACKENZIE:  I  would  like  to  ask  the  gentleman 
from  Indiana  just  one  question.  Have  they  a  highway  com- 
mission in  that  state? 

MR.  KENYON:  No,  sir;  not  a  highway  commission  nor 
a  highway  engineeer,  and  the  state  pays  absolutely  no 
attention  to  the  roads. 

MR.  MACKENZIE:  I  would  like  to  have  about  five 
words  in  reply  to  some  of  the  things  that  have  been  said, 
if  the  Chair  will  permit  me.  I  just  want  to  say  that  I 
sympathize  with  the  gentleman  from  Indiana.  The  farmers 
used  to  have  us  buffaloed  in  Washington  like  they  have 
got  you  buffaloed  in  Indiana.  As  long  as  you  stay  buf- 
faloed and  until  you  show  them  that  the  money  spent  on 
these  roads  will  come  back  to  them,  why  you  will  not  have 
good  roads,  unless  some  of  us  fellows  out  here  on  the 
Pacific  coast  contribute  money  to  help  build  roads  in  your 
state.  We  got  away  from  that  situation  out  here.  I  lived 
in  that  condition  twenty  years  in  my  state.  I  know  all  about 
the  local  feeling.  I  was  raised  on  the  farm  and  I  know 
just  how  my  father  used  to  think  about  those  things.  By 
the  passing  of  the  law  in  our  state  they  provide  for  a  high- 
way commission,  they  provide  for  our  Permanent  Highway 
Act,  they  provide  for  the  building  or  improvement  of  high- 
ways starting  at  trade  centers  and  going  out  into  the  country, 


'62  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

the  cost  to  be  borne  to  the  extent  of  fifteen  per  cent,  by  the 
property  owners,  the  balance  being  borne  by  this  mill  and  a 
half  tax.  The  permanent  highway  is  built  under  those  con- 
ditions and  we  get  clear  of  all  those  troubles. 

I  attended  a  meeting  in  our  town  not  two  months  ago 
where  there  was  six  hundred  active,  genuine  farmers  present 
and  I  never  heard  a  more  intelligent  discussion  of  roads 
and  road  conditions.  I  heard  the  farmers  advocate  the  very 
highest  type  of  roads  that  are  being  built  and  they  are 
willing  to  pay  for  them  themselves.  My  position  is  this: 
the  federal  government  of  necessity  will  have  to  build  some 
roads.  The  national  parks  are  owned  by  the  government. 
They  have  got  to  build  those  roads,  but  thirty-five  states 
have  highway  commissions  and  are  now  making  as  rapid 
progress  in  building  highways  as  is  consistent  with  the  de- 
velopment of  types  of  roads,  and  it  would  be  unfair  for 
these  states  who  have  been  unable  to  start  the*  devolp- 
ment  'of  roads  in  their  states  to  ask  us  to  contribute  now 
to  the  federal  government  for  the  assistance  of  these  re- 
calcitrant states  who  have  no  system,  no  highway  commis- 
sion, and  who  have  not  tried  to  get  the  people  back  of  these 
roads  that  they  need  for  themselves.  I  think  that  a  lot  of 
people  have  got  the  wrong  idea  of  the  farmers.  I  live  right 
among  them,  and  I  am  not  afraid  of  them  at  all;  and  I  find 
them  just  as  intelligent,  just  as  able  and  just  as  efficient  as 
any  other  class  of  business  men;'  but  just  as  long  as  it  is  in 
politics  they  think  they  have  to  be  taken  care  of. 

MR.  CARLTON:  Mr.  Chairman,  if  a  highway  commis- 
sion is  a  good  thing  for  the  state,  if  a  highway  commis- 
sioner's work  is  good  for  the  state,  why  isn't  a  national 
highway  commission  and  a  national  highway  engineer  good 
for  the  states?  I  would  like  to  say  that  there  is  one  point 
that  has  been  overlooked  by  all  these  gentlemen  discussing 
this  matter  of  the  aid  of  the  national  government  for  roads, 
and  that  is  the  construction  of  roads  through  such  coun- 
tries and  such  states  as  Nevada,/  which  has  such  an  im- 
mense area  and  such  an  immense  mileage  of  roads,  and  so 
few  people.  It  is  a  state  with  over  one  hundred  thousand 
square  miles  and  with  only  eighty  odd  thousand  people,  and 
a  very  limited  amount  of  taxable  property.  Now,  to  me 
the  federal  government  should  by  all  means  construct  roads 
through  all  places  where  the  population  and  the  valuation 
is  so  sparse  that  it  is  absolutely,  not  theoretically  impos- 
sible, but  absolutely  impossible,  to  build  roads.  For  in- 
stance, take  the  desert  sections  of  Arizona.  Take  the  desert 
sections  of  Nevada  and  California,  and  the  swamp  lands  in 
Louisiana,  and  such  places  as  that,  and  I  say,  gentlemen,  it 
.is  no  more  than  right,  no  more  than  just,  that  the  federal 
government  should  aid  in  the  maintenance  and  construction 
of  roads  tnrough  such  places. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  83 

« 

The  federal  government — the  gentleman  says  something 
about  this  matter  being  another  pork  barrel — this  other  gen- 
tleman that  insisted  that  it  is  not  within  the  province  of  the 
United  States  government  to  do  that  as  well  as  it  is  to  go 
down  and  build  the  Canal,  or  do  the  hundred  other  things 
that  the  federal  government  is  now  doing.  There  may  be 
a  little  pork  barrel  to  it,  but  I  tell  you,  gentlemen  of  this 
meeting,  if  these  roads  are  built  where  the  politicians  can 
get  the  votes  they  are  going  to  be  built  where  the  roads 
are  needed.  (Applause.) 

MR.  COBB:  I  think  that  Mr.  Kenyon  so  completely  an- 
swers the  argument  of  the  gentleman  who  read  the  paper 
that  there  is  nothing  to  be  added  to  his  remarks  except  with 
reference  to  one  point.  Mr.  MacKenzie  cast  considerable 
reflection  on  the  politician.  Now,  I  couldn't  sit  idly  and 
quietly  by  without  saying  something  in  defense  of  the  poli- 
tician. I  thought  Kenyon  was  one  from  the  way  he  talked. 
1  want  to  say  that  I  am  a  politician.  We  are  all  politicians 
over  in  Arizona,  and  I  think  that  an  honest  politician  is 
the  noblest  work  of  God.  (Laughter.)  We*  must  not  forget, 
too,  that  in  a  republican  form  of  government  you  are  going 
to  have  politicians.  Your  politician  represents  the  intel- 
lectual and  moral  status  of  your  community.  I  was  very 
sorry,  believing  that,  to  hear  such  bad  accounts  from  Wash- 
ington, but  you  all  know  that  that  is  a  fact.  Your  poli- 
tician represents  your  community. 

Now,  I  want  to  say  just  one  more  word  on  one  feature 
that  Col.  Stevens  mentions  in  his  paper.  He  men- 
tions several  states  that  he  thinks  have  reached  the  furthest 
point  of  advancement  in  road  administration.  He  men- 
tions several  of  them.  There  are  about  ten,  I  believe.  In 
the  evolution  of  road  management,  beginning  about  1890, 
I  think  the  management  of  road  construction  was  entirely 
in  the  hands  of  the  smallest  political  subdivision,  and  I  think 
it  was  probably  the  instrumentality  of  the  Society  of  Amer- 
ican Wheelmen  that  first  brought  about  a  greater  centraliza- 
tion of  authority,  and  then  has  come  the  automobile.  Now 
the  first  advanced  step  that  was  taken  was  by  the  states 
of  New  Jersey,  Massachusetts,  New  York  and,  as  I  say, 
about  ten  others,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  Arizona  is  one 
of  those  ten.  The  state  advanced  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  cost 
of  the  construction  of  roads  and  it  was  done  under  state 
supervision.  Now  these  ten  states  which  I  have  in  mind  have 
gone  a  little  further  than  that.  The  state  makes  an  ap- 
propriation and  the  money  is  expended  under  the  direction 
of  the  state.  Now  you  will  see  by  that  that  the  first  states 
that  took  up  the  assistance  in  the  construction  of  roads  have 
advanced  further  and  are  now  constructing  the  roads  them- 


84  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

selves  without  the  assistance  of  the  county.  Now  we  will 
have  to  admit  that  the  most  advanced  states  now  in  road 
construction  and  those  that  have  the  best  roads  have  made 
a  mistake'  in  this  policy  if  we  adopt  the  ideas  of  Mr.  Mac- 
Kenzie. 

I  would  just  like  one  particular  -word  and  that  is  with 
reference  to  the  centralization  of  authority  mentioned  by 
Mr.  Stevens.  When  talking  a  little  while  ago  on  the  sub- 
ject of  maintenance,  I  think  my  remarks  should  have  been 
qualified.  '  I  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  shouldn't  endeavor 
to  put  something  in  the  law  to  provide  for  maintenance, 
but  I  couldn't  see  how  you  could  put  it  in  the  law,  bonding 
law,  to  provide  for  maintenance.  Now,  the  only  way  in 
which  maintenance  can  be  gotten  is  through  educating  the 
people  to  the  necessity  of  maintenance,  and  the  necessity  of 
furnishing  them  with  accurate  data  relative  to  that  particular 
feature  of  the  work.  It  is  through  the  centralization  of 
authority  that  you  are  going  to  get  your  maintenance  and 
never  where  your  authority  is  subdivided  down  to  the  coun- 
ties. (Applause.) 

JUDGE  J.  H.  ALBERT:  Mr.  Chairman,  the  term  local  au- 
thority is  not  definite  and  the  application  made  by  the  gentle- 
man from  Indiana  is  not  possible  with  any  other  state.  Local 
may  mean  county  or  whatever  the  unit  may  be.  In  our 
state,  the  state  of  Oregon,  the  county  is  the  unit.  We  have 
a  state  system  there  for  building  through  trunk  roads.  We 
have  a  county  system  by  which  the  counties  themselves 
give  under  proper  proceedings;  also  the  townships  may, 
under  the  direction  of  the  county  or  rather  by  turning  the 
road  over  to  the  county,  levy  tax  for  improvements  in 
their  townships,  but  we  have  counties  in  our  state,  I  think 
about  ten  thousand  square  miles  in  one  of  them,  and  we 
have  a  district  there  that  has,  I  think,  six  or  seven  thousand 
square  miles  in  it.  So  you  can't  apply  that  argument  to 
our  state  or  to  any  western  state  that  I  know  of,  and  if  it 
is  applied  to  Indiana  in  the  manner  in  which  it  was  applied 
it  would  indicate  to  me  that  he  better  not  go  back  to 
Indiana  if  he  has  told  the  truth,  and  he  has,  evidently.  We 
couldn't  do  that  with  my  state,  but  I  think  it  is  a  question 
of  the  word  local,  whether  the  unit  is  the  Township  or  the 
county,  or  the  district.  In  our  state  no  authority  except 
the  county  may  establish  the  road.  The  state  may  improve 
its  roads,  but  the  county  may  improve  its  own  roads.  I 
know  that  the  condition  described  in  Indiana  doesn't  apply 
to  Oregon.  It  might  to  Washington,  but  I  am  not  surprised 
at  what  the  gentleman  has  said.  I  went  through  southern 
Indiana  at  one  time  about  ten  years  ago  and  my  experience 
and  observation  at  that  time  would  attest  the  truth  of  he 
gentleman's  remarks. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  85 

CHAIRMAN  PRATT:  There  are  two  notices  I  want  to 
read.  Before  we  adjourn  I  want  to  announce  the  smoker 
at  seven-thirty  tonight  to  which  the  delegates  and  friends 
are  invited.  I  have  just  received  a  telegram  from  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island: 

"E.  Li.  Powers,  Secretary  American  Road  Builders'  Associa- 
tion, care  Pan-American  Road  Congress,  Oakland,  California. 

Providence,  the  southern  gateway  of  New  England,  with  many 
and  varied  attractions  for  your  association,  would  be  honored 
to  entertain  the  American  Road  Builders'  Association  Conven- 
tion in  1916.  We  will  provide  necessary  hall  and  a  splendid 
programme  of  entertainment  if  you  come  to  Providence. 

(Signed)    Fred    Mansfield, 

Chairman   Committee   on   Conventions,    The   Providence 

Chamber  of  Commerce." 

I  am  sure  all  the  members  will  be  indebted  to  the  Tri- 
State  Good  Roads  Association  for  adjourning  its  session  and 
becoming  a  part  of  this  congress.  It  adds  a  great  deal  of 
interest  to  have  the  two  organizations  come  together  and 
take  part  in  our  program.  If  there  is  nothing  further  to 
come  before  the  meeting  now  we  will  stand  adjourned  until 
ten  o'clock  tomorrow  morning. 

An  adjournment  was  then  taken  until  Tuesday  morning, 
September  14,  1915,  at  ten  o'clock. 


MONDAY  EVENING  SMOKER. 

The  delegates  and  members  attending  the  congress  were 
entertained  on  Monday  evening,  September  13,  by  the  Com- 
mercial Club  of  Oakland,  which  gave  a  smoker  at  the  Hotel 
Oakland. 


86  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

SECOND    SESSION 
Tuesday,  September  14,  10:00  A.  M. 

JAMES  H..MAC  DONALD:  I  don't  think  it  is  necessary 
to  make  any  apology  for  the  counter-attraction  that  seems 
to  deplete  our  ranks  at  our  sessions,  nor  would  I  want  any 
one  to  ascribe  it  to  any  lack  of  interest  in  this  great  cause 
which  we  have  come  here  to  discuss.  It  is  simply  the 
greater  counter  attraction  just  for  the  moment;  but  they 
will  all  be  here  before  we  get  through.  I  take  great  pleas- 
ure in  introducing  to  the  congress-  Mr.  George  W.  Tillson, 
the  president  of  the  American  Road  Builders'  Association, 
who  will  now  take  the  chair. 

(George  W.  Tillson  then  took  the  chair.) 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  Mr.  MacDonald  and  Gentle- 
men: It  affords  me  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  to  act  in  this 
capacity  today.  The  first  paper  on  the  program  for  this 
morning  is  on  "Proper  Road  Location:  Its  Importance  and 
Effects,"  by  William  R.  Roy,  State  Highway  Commissioner 
of  Washington.  I  take  great  pleasure  in  introducing  to  you 
Commissioner  Roy.  (Applause.) 

MR.  ROY:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of 
the  Road  Congress:  I  have  prepared  a  short  paper  on  a 
question  that  is  a  leading  one  in  this  country,  not  only  on 
the  west  side  of  the  country,  but  all  over.  This  is  a  ques- 
tion that  has  been  growing  for  a  number  of  years  and  is  des- 
tined to  assume  a  great  deal  larger  proportions  in  the  near 
future. 


Proper  Road  Location:      Its   Importance  and  Effects 

By  WILLIAM  R.  ROY 

• 
State  Highway  Commissioner  of  Washington 

The  object  of  this  paper  is  to  present,  briefly,  some  of 
the  phases  of  this  subject  which  confront  the  highway  engi- 
neer at  this  time. 

The  purpose  of  a  highway  is  to  carry  traffic.  The  traffic 
will  naturally  vary  with  fhe  district  which  is  producing  or 
attracting  traffic;  so  the  first  consideration  of  the  locator, 
in  the  broadest  sense,  will  be  the  district  to  be  served. 
It  may  be  said  that  the  districts  requiring  highways  fall 
naturally  into  three  classes,  which  may  be  designated  as 
urban  or  residential  districts,  scenic  districts,  and  agricultural 
districts.  On  account  of  the  fact  that  these  classes  neces- 
sarily overlap  in  many  cases,  the  distinctions  indicated  have 
their  greatest  effect  upon  the  location  of  highways,  rather 
than  upon  the  details  of  construction,  where  a  broad-gauge 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  87 

general  policy  is  to  be  followed  by  the  executive  charged 
with  highway  administration. 

In  referring  to  urban  or  residential  districts,  I  have  in 
mind  the  suburban  areas  which  are  adjacent  to  most  of  the 
large  cities  of  this  country,  with  at  least  a  fairly  "well-to- 
do"  population,  able  to  own  comfortable  homes  and  to  pay 
for  the  extra  transportation  required  by  the  greater  distance 
to  the  business  centers.  Such  a  district  both  produces  and 
attracts  traffic.  The  original  development  of  such  districts 
was  made  possible  by  the  electric  railway;  the  highways  were 
of  secondary  importance.  Now  the  small  motor  vehicle 
has  become  the  important  factor  in  transportation,  and  the 
development  of  highways  has  become  of  first  importance. 
The  traffic  produced  by  such  a  district  will  be  almost  ex- 
clusively comparatively  light  passenger  vehicles,  with  ample 
power  to  climb  almost  any  gradient  even  up  to  20  per  cent. 
The  hauling  which  the  district  requires  will  be  confined  to 
materials  for  the  construction  of  new  residences  or  other 
buildings,  and  such  heavy  supplies  as  fuel.  The  locator 
therefore  will  have  as  his  first  consideration  what  may  be 
called  the  accessibility  of  the  highway,  and  safety  of  the 
traffic.  He  will  not  be  confined 'to  a  narrow  range  of  gra- 
dients, but  will  endeavor  to  find  a  proper  middle  ground 
between  the  extremes  of  grade  and  cost  of  construction.  In 
locating  a  highway  for  the  residential  development  of  a 
previously  unoccupied  district,  the  engineer  has  his  greatest 
opportunity.  The  proper  location  will  involve  plans  for 
connecting  drives  to  the  main  artery;  consideration  of  the 
future  requirements  of  the  community  for  sewerage  and 
storm  drains;  the  disposal  of  surface  water;  intersections 
of  existing  or  contemplated  railways;  and  the  possibility 
of  snow  blockades  in  winter.  As  in  most  cases  the  cost  of 
such  a  highway  must  be  considered  an  eventual  charge  upon 
the  property  of  the  district,  the  choice  of  proper  location  is 
too  freqeuntly  restricted  by  that  cost;  but  the  attitude  of  the 
public  toward  this  factor  is  improving  with  the  increasing 
demand  for  safety  of  traffic. 

The  location  of  highways  into  scenic  districts  brings  with 
it  a  set  of  problems  which  are  pre-eminently  of  an  engineer- 
ing nature.  The  purpose  of  such  highways  is  to  afford  ac- 
cess to  districts  of  natural  beauty.  The  choice  of  routes 
may  be  influenced  by  the  existence  of  attractive  camping 
grounds,  in  addition  to  the  principal  points  of  interest  which 
are  to  be  reached.  The  only  restrictions  placed  upon  the 
engineer  are  those  of  expense  and  safety  of  travel.  Another 
consideration,  which  is  rapidly  becoming  of  first  importance 
with  the  extension  of  this  type  of  highways,  is  the  cost  of 
maintenance.  This  is  particularly  true  in  the  mountains  of 
the  Pacific  Coast,  where  conditions  of  soil,  drainage,  and 


88  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

snowfall  have  a  vital  bearing  on  upkeep  costs.  Gradients 
as  high  as  8  or  10  per  cent,  may  be  utilized  in  order  to  keep 
the  cost  of  construction  within  reasonable  limits,  but  these 
gradients  should  be  reduced  on  sharp  curves  in  the  interest 
of  safety.  The  importance  and  effects  of  proper  location 
will  be  seen  in  the  resulting  popularity  of  such  highways, 
and  in  the  much  talked  of  development  of  our  natural  re- 
sources. 

Problems  of  a  somewhat  different  type  are  encountered  in 
planning  highways  for  a  large  farming  district  of  a  flat  or 
only  gently  rolling  topography,  where  the  farms  are  held  in 
large  units  and  the  population  is  scattered.  The  prevailing 
systems  of  roads  usually  follow  the  subdivisional  lines.  The 
traffic  will  be  heavy  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  only. 
On  account  of  local  prejudices,  it  is  often  very  difficult  to 
select  any  highway,  or  system  of  highways,  for  extensive 
improvement.  With  existing  highways  on  the  rectangular 
system,  it  is  seen  that  a  farmer  living  eight  miles  in  an  air 
line  from  town,  may  have  to  travel  from  nine  to  twelve 
miles  along  the  section  lines  to  reach  his  market.  The  ideal 
system  for  such  a  district  -would  be  a  combination  of  the 
rectangular  method  with  diagonal  arteries  radiating  from  the 
markets. 

Existing  roads  in  the  thickly  settled  agricultural  and  in- 
dustrial districts  in  the  United  States  are  also  frequently 
laid  out  on  the  rectangular  system,  and  in  addition  have  been 
fenced  up  to  narrow  limits.  Such  a  system  can  not  often 
be  used  to  best  serve  the  modern  requirements  of  the  entire 
community,  especially  in  a  district  devoted  to  truck  gardens 
and  dairy  interests,  where  the  bulk  of  the  heavy  hauling  is 
fairly  constant  throughout  the  year.  The  location  of  a  great 
trunk  highway  through  such  a  district,  and  connecting  in- 
dustrial centers,  should  be  along  the  principles  long  estab- 
lished for  the  location  of  railways/  with  the  modifications 
due  to  the  permissible  maximum  gradients.  The  short-haul 
transportation  of  heavy  commodities  to  the  nearest  suitable 
market  or  point  of  rail  shipment  is  the  important  considera- 
tion. It  is  a  generally  accepted  rule  that  the  maximum, 
gradient  of  such  a  highway  should  not  exceed  5  per  cent.; 
and  curves  should  be  planned  to  afford-  a  sight  distance — 
that  is,  the  greatest  distance  at  which  the  drivers  of  two 
approaching  vehicles  may  see  each  other's  machines  along 
the  road — of  not  less  than  250  ft. 

In  a  country  of  rolling  topography,  with  frequent  stream 
crossings  and  railway  intersections,  the  route  which  the 
engineer  recognizes  as  the  best  location  will  almost  invar- 
iably cut  through  highly  developed  property.  The  right  of 
way  for  such  an  improvement  will  usually  have  to  be  ob- 
tained at  high  figures,  both  in  the  value  of  land  taken,  and  in 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  89 

damages  to  the  property  thus  divided.  While  this  cost  often 
seems  prohibitively  high,  it  must  be  recognized  as  being 
what  we  may  call  a  "capital  charge."  Here  again  one  is 
struck  by  the  resemblance  between  the  fundamental  prin- 
ciples controlling  the  location  of  a  railway  and  those  which 
should  control  the  location  of  a  great  industrial  highway. 
While  it  may  be  somewhat  foolhardy  to  attempt  to  predict 
future  developments  in  short-haul  transportation,  the  condi- 
tions which  have  arisen  during  the  past  six  years  may  indi- 
cate, in  some  measure,  what  may  be  expected;  and  may  be 
taken  by  the  locator  as  his  guiding  considerations  in  selecting 
a  route  for  a  new  highway  or  in  improving  the  route  of 
an  existing  highway.  In  the  same  way,  is  it  not  true  that 
the  development  of  the  great  railway  systems  may  afford 
much  counsel  to  any  community  in  planning  the  size  of  the 
financial  investment  that  should  be  made  in  a  new  highway? 

1  refer  particularly  to  the  financial  investment  in  rights  of 
way,    grading    costs,    and    stream    crossings,    rather    than    to 
the  surface  structure  of  the  highway. 

This  brings  us  to  the  consideration  of  operating  costs, 
and  the  influence  that  these  costs  should  have  in  the  locator's 
selection  of  a  route.  There  are  very  few  published  data 
on  the  actual  costs  of  motor  vehicle  operation,  or  the  effects 
of  grade  and  curvature  upon  th£se  costs.  This  subject  should 
be  a  fruitful  field  for  investigation  by  our  highway  depart- 
ments and  technical  schools.  However,  it  is  a  self  evident 
fact  that  more  power  is  required  to  move  a  motor  truck  up 
a  5  per  cent,  grade  than  over  a  level  grade,  or  even  one  of 

2  or  3  per  cent.     Also^  it  is  probable  that  every  person  who 
has  driven  a  motor  car  has  noticed  that  a  curve  in  the  road 
on   a   5   per   cent,   grade   will  very   appreciably  increase   the 
amount  of  power  required  to  climb   that  gradient  as   com- 
pared to  the  power  required  to  climb  a  similar  gradient  on  a 
tangent.    As  the  number  of  vehicle  units  increase,  it  must  be 
evident  that  operating  costs  become  of  more  and  more  im- 
portance in  the  matters  which  the  highway  locator  has  to 
consider. 

To  any  person  who  thinks  that  the  effects  of  grade  and 
curvature  on  operating  costs  may  be  disregarded  by  the 
locating  engineer  in  planning  a  highway  of  the  type  referred 
to,  as  being  too  finely  drawn  for  present  consideration,  I 
wish  to  cite  certain  conditions  which  have  developed  in 
many  sections  of  the  Pacific  Coast  in  recent  years.  No  doubt 
similar  conditions  exist  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  but  I 
refer  specifically  to  the  Pacific  Coast  on  account  'of  personal 
observation  of  these  conditions.  We  have  many  fertile 
valleys,  capable  of  intense  cultivation,  which  are  closely 
settled,  at  least  in  the  vicinity  of  the  larger  cities.  These 
districts  produce  large  quantities  of  vegetables,  fruits,  and 


90  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

dairy  products — all  commodities  requiring  prompt  transpor- 
tation throughout  the  year.  In  past  years  these  commodities 
have  been  hauled  by  the  electric  railways.  Following  the 
construction  of  improved  highways,  or  at  least  improved 
surfaces,  there  has  grown  a  formidable  system  of  motor 
vehicle  transportation,  carrying  both  freight  and  passenger 
traffic.  In  handling  freight,  these  motor  vehicles  collect 
produce  practically  at  the  farmer's  gate,  and  deliver  it  to 
the  door  of  the  commission  house  or  butter  factory  in  the 
city,  at  the  same  freight  tariff  formerly  paid  to  the  railways, 
and  with  the  elimination  of  the  drayage  charges  at  either 
end  of  the  haul.  A  similar  condition  exists  in  the  short- 
haul  transportation  of  passengers.  There  have  been  placed 
in  profitable  operation  many  lines  of  large  capacity  passenger 
automobiles,  which  pass  close  to  the  farmer's  door,  and 
which  will  carry  him  to  town  quickly  and  conveniently,  and 
at  a  reduced  rate  over  the  former  passenger  tariffs  on  the 
electric  or  steam  railway  lines.  Probably  no  better  example 
could  be  found  of  the  truth  that  increased  convenience  in 
transportation  will  result  in  increased  volume  of  transporta- 
tion. This  increased  traffic  in  turn  has  produced  more 
problems  for  the  highway  officials  and  locators.  The  high- 
way that  was  built  a  few  years  ago,  with  the  grades  and 
curvature  that  seemed  to  thfe  locator  to  be  justified  by  exist- 
ing traffic  conditions  and  topographic  obstacles,  is  now  in- 
tolerably crooked,  and  the  grades  are  too  steep. 

These  conditions  have  been  evident  for  some  time  to  those 
officials  charged  with  highway  maintenance;  at  least  we 
have  heard  the  most  about  them  from  such  officials  through 
the  medium  of  the  technical  press  and  from  the  platforms 
of  association  meetings  and  conventions.  Is  it  not  probable 
that  at  some  not  far  distant  time  we  shall  begin  to  hear 
from  the  owners  of  motor  vehicles  about  the  cost  of  opera- 
tion? 

On  going  into  this  subject,  the  engineer  finds  that  the 
proper  location  of  the  heavy-traffic,  year-around  highway 
involves  consideration  of  factors  which  have  long  been  prime 
essentials  in  the  best  railway  location;  but  which  have  not 
been  supposed  to  be  worth  taking  into  account  in  planning 
a  highway.  Among  these  factors  may  be  cited,  in  addition 
to  the  matters  of  grade  and  curvature  already  mentioned, 
the  necessity  for  stopping  and  starting  heavy  motor  trucks 
to  pick  up  and  discharge  freight  and  passengers;  intersec- 
tions with  cross-roads  where  the  average  speed  may  not  be 
maintained;  and  the  necessity  for  widening  of  the  traveled 
way  as  the  volume  of  traffic  increases. 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  This  question  was  to  be  dis- 
cussed by  Paul  D.  Sargent,  state  highway  commissioner  of 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  91 

tbe  state  of  Maine,  but  unfortunately  Mr.  Sargent  was  not 
able  to  be  present.  In  the  East  the  question  of  highway 
location  is  comparatively  a  simple  one,  and  to  me  as  I  sup- 
pose to  most  eastern  engineers,  the  sights  that  we  saw  in 
coming  down  on  this  western  coast  are  very  remarkable.  I 
had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  two  of  probably  the  greatest 
examples  of  road  that  there  are  in  this  country,  if  not  in  the 
world.  One  of  which  of  course  you  have  all  heard,  the 
Columbian  Highway  on  the  South  bank  for  a  great  distance 
of  the  Columbia  river,  and  the  other  the  road  over  the  Siski- 
you  Pass;  both,  as  I  said,  remarkable  examples  of  location. 
The  engineer  who  is  responsible  for  one,  and  I  think  both, 
of  these  roads  is  present,  and  I  know  of  no  one  who  is  more 
qualified  to  discuss  this  question  than  he.  I  am  therefore 
very  pleased  to  introduce  to  you  Major  Bowlby. 

MAJOR  H.  L.  BOWLBY  (Washington):  Major  Crosby 
spoke  to  me  last  evening  and  said  he  wanted  me  to  start 
the  discussion  on  Mr.  Roy's  paper.  He  said  also  that  he 
didn't  have  a  copy  of  Mr.  Roy's-  paper  with  him,  so  not 
having  the  paper  to  look  over  I  jotted  down  a  few  points  on 
"Road  Location"  and  will  not  be  able  to  take  up  Mr.  Roy's 
paper  in  anything  in  the  discussion  except  for  a  few  points 
that  I  jotted  down.  To  all  engineers  who  have  had  to  do 
with  the  building  of  roads  the  importance  of  the  location 
of  the  road  is  very  apparent.  It  has  many  times  been  said 
that  drainage  was  the  important  factor  in  road  building.  I 
believe  that  that  is  true,  but  it  is  also  true  that  you  cannot 
get  proper  road  dainage  if  the  road  has  not  been  located 
properly,  so  that  to  my  mind  the  most  important  factor 
in  road  building  is  the  road  location.  Here  in  the  West  we 
have  a  problem  altogether  different  from  those  of  the  en- 
gineers who  come  from  the  East,  and  especially  the  far 
East.  There  your  roads  have  been  located  for  many  years, 
most  of  them  for  a  hundred  years  or  more,  and  in  your  work 
of  today  you  have  to  improve  those  roads  and  relocate  them 
as  best  you  can,  staying  usually  very  close  to  the  line  of  the 
road  as  it  now  exists.  Here  in  the  West  we  have  a  different 
problem.  We  have  practically  the  whole  country  before  us 
in  locating  the  roads,  and  I  feel  that  we  have  a  greater  re- 
sponsibility out  here  than  the  engineers  of  the  East  have, 
because  today  the  roads  are  being  located,  and  if  they  are 
not  right  in  the  future  it  will  be  the  fault  of  the  engineers 
who  have  charge  of  the  roads  today.  Land  values  are  very 
cheap  here  in  the  West,  compared  with  land  values  in  the 
East. 

In  all  of  my  highway  work  here  on  the  Pacific  coast  I  have 
tried  to  follow  a  few  general  principles  of  highway  build- 
ing. First,  not  to  make  any  grades  over  five  per  cent,  on 
the  main  trunk  roads  of  the  state  in  which  I  work,  and  not 


92  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

to  have  the  curvature  exceed  that  of  a  radius  of  two  hundred 
feet  except  in  very  difficult  cases  where  the  topography  re- 
quires a  shorter  radius  or  a  very  great  expenditure  of  money. 
In  that  case  we  have  reduced  the  curvature  to  one  hundred 
snd  fifty  feet,  and  in  some  places  to  one  hundred  feet,  but 
in  no  case  under  one  hundred  feet,  and  wherever  the  road 
has  been  running  on  the  ruling  grade,  or  the  maximum  grade, 
and  it  has  been  necessary  to  make  a  radius  of  curvature 
less  than  two  hundred  feet  we  have  followed  the  principle 
of  reducing  the  grade  on  the  curve  at  the  rate  of  one  per 
cent  for  every  fifty  feet  that  the  radius  has  been  reduced, 
so  that  where  we  were  locating  a  five  per  cent,  grade  and 
had  to  put  in  a  curve  with  one  hundred  feet  radius  we  would 
have  on  that  curve  a  three  per  cent,  grade. 

During  the  last  two  years  I  had  the  honor  of  being  state 
highway  engineer  of  Oregon.  We  had  the  location  of  two 
very  important  roads,  the  Columbia  Highway,  which  is  a 
road  starting  at  the  Pacific  Ocean  at  Seaside  and  going  up 
the  Columbia  river  on  the  south  bank  for  a  distance  of 
about  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles.  This  will  be, 
with  the  Pacific  Highway,  the  two  important  roads  of  Ore- 
gon, the  Columbia  being  an  east  and  west  road  tying  to- 
gether western  and  eastern  Oregon,  and  the  Pacific  high- 
way a  part  of  an  international  highway  running  from  Canada 
to  Mexico.  In  locating  the  Columbia  highway  we  tried  to 
follow  the  best  principles  of  road  location  and  4oday  the 
road  is  open,  although  it  is  not  entirely  constructed,  from 
the  sea  to  Hood  river,  and  in  traveling  the  whole  road 
you  can  drive  through  on  "high." 

In  starting  out  the  work  in  any  state  you  are  up  against 
the  criticism  of  the  laymen,  those  who  are  not  acquainted 
with  engineering,  the  needs  of  engineering;  with  the  criti- 
cism for  spending  money  for  preliminary  engineering; 
that  is,  spending  sums  of  money  for  locating  roads  and 
in  getting  out  the  plans  and  specifications.  I  think,  this  is 
always  the  most  bitter  in  the  beginning  of  road  work  in  any 
state.  The  location  of  the  Columbia  highway  cost  from 
two  hundred  dollars  to  about  four  hundred  and  twenty-five 
dollars  a  mile,  the  most  expensive  portion  of  the  location 
being  in  Multnomah  county.  Those  of  you  who  have  seen  it 
realize  the  difficulty  of  the  country  through  which  this  road 
was  located.  I  jotted  down  last  night  a  few  of  the  instruc- 
tions that  I  have  given  to  the  locating  engineers  in  the  field 
which  I  thought  would  be  of  interest  to  this  congress  and  of 
special  interest  if  printed  in  the  proceedings  of  the  congress. 
These  instructions  outline  briefly  the  manner  in  which  the 
survey  is  carried  on,  the  data  that  are  obtained  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  all  of  this  work  is  done. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  93 

Road  Location. 

By  HENRY  L.  BOWLBY 

Executive    Officer,    Pacific    Highway    Association 

Instructions  to  Locating  Engineers 

Engineers  in  charge  of  location  will  run  an  angle  line, 
keeping  it  as  nearly  at  grade  as  may  be,  and  take  topography 
with  sufficient  care  to  enable  a  map  with  contours  at  inter- 
vals of  five  feet  to  be  accurately  plotted. 

Topography  will  be  taken  by  taking  cross  sections — with 
a  hand  level.  Where  the  nature  of  the  country  is  such  that 
this  is  impracticable,  it  may  be  taken  with  a  slope  board 
or  clinometer. 

Note  the  size  of  all  streams  and  high  water  marks  when- 
ever obtainable.  Note  also  character  of  materials,  whether 
earth,  gravel,  rock,  etc.,  also  all  clearings — in  fact,  every- 
thing which  will  be  of  use  in  estimating  the  cost  of  the 
work. 

The  transit  notes  will  be  kept  as  shown  on  the  sample 
page  of  transit  notes  furnished  by  the  department.  The 
magnetic  course  must  be  in  all  cases  be  read  and  recorded. 

Bearings  of  all  courses,  or  lines,  should  be  given  with  ref- 
erence to  the  true  meridian,  and  for  that  purpose  an  obser- 
vation of  Polaris,  or  of  the  sun,  should  be  taken  upon  start- 
ing the  survey,  and  the  true  course  be  taken  in  the  field  books. 
An  additional  observation  should  be  taken  for  the  correction 
of  meridianal  convergency,  whenever  the  extent  of  the  sur- 
vey shall  attain  a  departure  of  one-half  degree  of  longitude. 

Curves  and  bearings  of  tangents  shall  be  noted  on  the 
maps  and  profiles  in  the  manner  shown  on  the  samples  fur- 
nished by  the  department.  When  practicable,  give  true  bear- 
ings instead  of  magnetic. 

When  the  degree  of  curve  "D"  is  less  than  10  degrees, 
the  length  "L"  of  the  curve  may  be  computed  by  the  formula: 

A 

L  =  100  times  - 
D 

When  "E"  is  10  degrees  or  over,  figure  the  length  "L"  as 
the  arc  of  a  circle,  thus:  A 

L  =  2   pixRx  — 

360 

Grades 

Grades  shall  be  established  in  even  tenths,  and  a  maximum 
grade  of  five  per  cent,  will  in  no  case  be  exceeded.  All  angle 
points  should  be  marked  according  to  station  numbers.  The 
notes  and  profiles  must  show  all  culverts,  drains,  bridges, 
etc.,  with  sizes;  indicating  whether  existing  or  proposed. 

The    minimum    radius    of    curvature    allowed    will    be    two 


94  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

hundred  (200)  feet.  When  it  is  impracticable  to  use  a  radius 
as  great  as  two  hundred  (200)  feet,  on  account  of  peculiar 
topographical  features,  with  the  consent  of  the  state  high- 
way engineer,  a  lesser  radius  may  be  used,  but  in  no  case 
will  this  be  less  than  100  feet. 

When  a  radius  of  less  than  200  feet  is  used  on  a  maximum 
grade,  a  grade  compensation  of  one  per  cent,  for  each  fifty 
feet  of  reduction  of  radius  will  be  used.  Thus,  if  it  is  nec- 
essary to  use  a  100-foot  radius  curve  on  a  five  per  cent, 
grade,  the  grade  line  on  the  curve  would  be  reduced  to  a 
three  per  cent,  grade. 

Field  Books 

All  field  books  shall  be  properly  indexed  in  ink,  and  where 
more*  than  one  field  book  is  used  in  a  survey,  a  complete 
index  of  all  field  books  shall  be  made.  The  book  containing 
this  index  shall  be  marked  on  the  book  "Index."  ••» 

The  name  or  number  of  the  road,  or  both,  and  the  year, 
shall  be  given.  All  field  books  shall  be  marked  with  the 
name  of  the  road,  the  year,  and  county,  on  a  fly  leaf;  also 
the  name  of  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  party,  the  transit- 
man,  leveler,  topographer,  and  such  other  data  as  will  make 
the  notes  clear  and  intelligible. 

All  note  books  shall  be  kept  according  to  the  standard 
sheets  sent  out  by  the  state  highway  department. 

The  rodman  working  with  the  leveler  must  keep  a  book 
in  which  is  to  be  recorded  the  turning  points.  The  eleva- 
tions of  turning  points  and  heights  of  instruments  are  in  all 
cases  to  be  compared  with  those  of  the  leveler,  and  found  to 
be  correct,  before  proceeding  with  the  work. 

Levels  should  be  run  in  one  direction  and  checked  in  the 
opposite.  The  two  will  be  compared  by  means  of  the  fol- 
lowing formula: 

E  =  CVM 

Where  "E"  is  the  error  between  the  two  runnings,  and 
"M"  the  distance  in  miles,  "C"  must  not  exceed  0.1  foot. 
This  must  hold  good  between  adjacent  benches  and  also 
between  the  origin  and  any  bench. 

Always  establish  a  substantial  and  permanent  bench  at 
the  initial  point  in  all  surveys,  and  note  whether  an  assumed 
elevation  or  a  sea  level  datum  is  used.  B.  M's.  should  be 
placed  frequently,  and  in  no  instance  over  two  thousand 
(2,000)  feet  apart. 

All  level  notes  must  be  checked  at  the  end  of  each  day's 
work  by  adding  the  back-sights  and  fore-sights  and  ascer- 
taining the  difference  of  elevation. 

Field   Maps 

Field  maps  shall  be  plotted  in  the  field  to  a  scale  of  200 
feet  to  the  inch,  on  duplex  paper,  or  to  a  scale  of  100  feet 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  95 

to  the  inch  whenever  in  the  opinion  of  the  locating  engineer 
the  larger  scale  is  necessary. 

The  preliminary  map  must  be  carefully  and  accurately 
made.  The  skeleton  of  the  preliminary  survey  shall  be 
plotted  by  latitudes  and  departures.  This  method  may  be 
checked  by  laying  off  the  successive  calculated  courses  and 
distances  from  a  carefully  drawn  meridian,  using  a  large 
protractor,  not  less  than  12  inches  in  diameter. 

All  data  obtained  in  the  field  must  be  placed  on  these  maps. 
These  maps  will  be  sent  to  the  office  of  the  state  highway 
engineer. 

The  final  profiles  on  location  will  be  made  with  a  hori- 
zontal scale  of  four  hundred  (400)  feet  to  the  inch,  and  a 
vertical  scale  of  twenty  (20)  feet  to  the  inch.  For  the  pur- 
pose of  determining  the  final  location  and  grade  line,  and 
for  more  readily  balancing  cuts  and  fills,  a  profile  with  a 
horizontal  scale  of  one  hundred  (100)  feet  to  the  inch,  and 
a  vertical  scale  of  ten  (10)  feet  to  the  inch  may  be  used. 
These  working  profiles  must  be  returned  to  the  State  office 
with  the  final  location  profile. 

A  judicious  use  of  the  "mass  diagram"  should  be  made 
by  the  locating  engineer  before  he  is  finally  satisfied  with 
located  line  and  grade. 

Short  sags  should  be  avoided  and  in  all  cases  vertical 
curves  should  be  provided  at  grade  intersections. 

A  diary  must  be  kept  by  the  locating  engineer.  Details 
of  each  day's  work  must  be  entered,  giving  dates  of  com- 
mencing and  completing  the  survey.  These  dates  will  be 
returned  to  the  State  office  with  the  maps  and  profiles  of 
the  survey. 

The  engineer  in  charge  will  forward  weekly  progress  re- 
port of  work  done,  and  all  other  items  of  interest  pertain- 
ing to  the  work,  on  forms  furnished  for  this  purpose. 

All  maps,  profiles,  preliminary  estimates  and  general  rec- 
ords will  be  completed  while  the  surveys  are  in  progress 
thus  avoiding  an  accumulation  of  work  at  the  end  of  the 
survey. 

Right-of-way 

Right-of-way  will  be  at  least  sixty  (60)  feet  in  width.  Sta- 
tions will  be  uniformly  one  hundred  (100)  feet  long  each, 
and  numbered  consecutively.  The  stakes  on  all  lines  must 
be  numbered  on  the  rear  face,  next  to  the  transit.  Mark 
stakes  on  alternate  line  with  distinguishing  letters,  A.  B.  C., 
etc.  Mark  stakes  on  located  lines  "L." 

Ties  must  be  secured  to  all  township  and  subdivision  lines 
whenever  crossed.  Give  station  number  of  intersection,  angle 
of  intersection,  distance  along  the  line  to  the  nearest  section 
corner,  or  one-quarter  section  corner.  Whenever  possible, 


96  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

make  the  intersection  by  running  through  between  the  two 
corners. 

On  the  map  of  the  survey,  do  not  fail  to  indicate  which 
of  the  section  corners  and  quarter  corners  have  been  located. 
If  note  to  this  effect  is  not  made  it  will  be  assumed  that  the 
location  of  same  has  been  approximated,  and  the  corner  not 
tied. 

Section  ties  must  be  given  with  reference  to  the  location 
center  line,  and  wherever  corners  are  found,  ties  must  be  so 
taken  that  the  necessary  right-of-way  strip  can  be  described 
by  metes  and  bounds.  This  is  very  important.  The  data  se- 
cured by  the  survey  should  be  so  complete  that  right-of-way 
deeds  may  be  made  out  without  any  further  field  work. 
When  the  road  is  located  through  villages  or  towns,  ties  to 
corners,  and  secure  copies  of  plats,  with  dates,  certificates, 
etc.,  and  send  to  office  of  state  highway  engineer. 

Tie  in  all  property  and  land  lines,  and  locate  all  buildings, 
wells,  fences,  etc.,  that  are  found  within  one  hundred  (100) 
feet  of  the  line. 

Cross  sections  of  slopes  will  be  taken  at  sufficient  dis- 
tances on  each  side  of  the  line  to  allow  for  necessary  changes 
of  line  and  grades. 

Check  all  angles  by  needle  reading,  or  by  doubling  the 
angle,  or  both. 

Angle  points  should  be  indicated  by  station  numbers. 

Keep  all  instruments  in  proper  condition  and  good  ad- 
justment. 

Special  Structures 

Where  special  structures  are  required,  such  as  viaducts, 
large  culverts  or  bridges,  or  other  exceptional  work,  the 
locating  engineer  shall  cause  the  ground  to  be  surveyed  and 
mapped  to  two-foot  contours;  scale  ten  (10)  feet  to  the  inch, 
with  corresponding  profiles,  and  submit  the  same,  accom- 
panied by  illustrative  notes  and  such  suggestions  as  he  may 
think  proper  to  add,  to  the  state  highway  engineer,  who 
will  thereupon  cause  a  plan  to  be  made  for  such  special 
structure.  Exhibits  or  special  maps  of  this  kind  should  in- 
clude high  and  low  water  marks,  character  of  bottom  or  sub- 
soil, and  in  the  cases  of  railroad  crossings,  a  profile  of  the 
same  for  five  hundred  (500)  feet  each  way. 

The  work  of  the  state  highway  department  can  be  suc- 
cessful only  through  the  hearty  cooperation  of  all  of  its 
employes. 

Faithfulness  and  loyalty  to  one's  superiors  must  exist,  not 
only  during  working  hours  but  at  all  times. 

Derogatory  criticisms  of  fellow  employes  in  the  depart- 
ment will  not  be  tolerated. 

The  proper  location  of  a  highway  is  of  such  importance 
that  the  engineer  in  charge  of  road  construction  cannot 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  97 

make  a  mistake  if  he  selects  his  best  and  most  capable  engi- 
neers for  this  preliminary  work. 

Often  to  the  lay  mind  the  expenditure  of  money  for  pre- 
liminary engineering  and  location  is  a  waste  of  funds.  The 
highway  engineer  must  give  a  deaf  ear  to  these  complaints, 
knowing  that  his  worst  critics  will  praise  the  work  after  the 
road  is  completed  if  the  location  has  been  properly  made 
and  the  highway  constructed  according  to  the  plans  and 
specifications. 


CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  The  discussion  is  now  open  for 
the  meeting  and  we  will  be  gla<i  to  hear  from  anybody/ 
There  must  be  many  here  who  have  had  experience  in  this 
work,  especially  in  this  western  country. 

DR.  PRATT:  Mr.  Chairman,  there  is  just  a  word  that 
I  would  like  to  say  in  regard  to  location  suggested  by  a 
statement  made  by  Mr.  Roy  when,  he  said  that  in  certain 
instances  it  was  found  that  after  a  road  had  been  built  for 
five  or  ten  years  with  grades  running  from  six  to  seven  and 
eight  per  cent,  and  sharp  curves  that  the  engineers  of  to- 
day were  finding  it  necessary  to  try  and  change  tha:  loca- 
tion; in  other  words,  to  re-locate  the  road.  Now  in  the 
southeastern  states  we  have  the  Southern  Appalachian 
mountains  which  give  us  elevations  from  sea-level  to  fifty- 
five  hundred  feet  and  we  are  issuing  bonds  for  the  construc- 
tion of  our  roads;  and  we  have  been  trying  to  lay  down 
definite  rules  and  regulations  regarding  the  construction  of 
roads  similar  to  those  suggested  by  Mr.  Bowlby  of  Oregon. 
We  are  climbing  and  re-climbing  the  Blue  Ridge  and  we 
are  making  our  roads  with  no  grades  over  four  and  one- 
half  per  cent.  We  are  taking  the  same  precaution  as  they 
do  in  Oregon  in  regard  to  curves.  Where  we  are  rising  with 
our  maximum  grade  of  four  and  one-half  per  cent,  and  come 
to  a  curve  we  reduce  the  grade  in  some  instances  to  as  low 
as  two  per  cent. 

Now  there  has   been   a  good   deal   said  in  regard  to   the 
use  of  the   roads   by   the   automobiles  and   that  they   don't 
mind  a  six,  seven  or  eight  per  cent,  grade  if  we  give  them 
sufficient  right-of-way  or  headway,  so  they  can  get  a  start, 
that  they  will  go  up  the  hill  on  first  gear  without  very  much 
trouble;  but  Mr.   Roy,   I   think,  pointed  out  very  well  that 
he  pleasure  automobile  is  not  the   only  one   that  is  using 
.hese   roads,- for  there   is   the   automobile   truck  that   is   be- 
ginning to  use  our  good  highways  in  all  the  states  of  this 
:ountry,  and  we  seem  to  leave  out  of  consideration  the  fact 
hat  the  horse-drawn  vehicle  is  going  to  be  with  us  for  a 
jreat   many   years   to   come.     Now   these   vehicles   do   mind 
hese   steep   grades,   and  they  do  mind  particularly  a   steep 
rade  and  a  curve   at   the   same   time.     When   we   come   to 


98  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

work  out  for  them,  as  I  think  it  will  be  done  later  on,  the 
operating  expense  of  these  truck  automobiles  over  highways 
with  steep  grades  and  the  sharp  curves  with  a  grade  at  the 
same  time,  we  will  find  that  it  is  going  to  be  considered 
very  economical  to  keep  the  grades  down,  especially  on 
curves,  much  below  maximum  grade. 

There  is  one  other  point  I  want  to  bring  out  in  connection 
with  location  and  that  is  in  relation  to  the  issuing  of  bonds 
for  the  construction  of  roads.  As  we  all  know,  the  location 
is  the  only  part  of  a  road  that  there  is  any  possible  chance 
of  making  permanent;  and  if  we  are  issuing  bonds  with  which 
'to  construct  those  roads,  where  they  are  ten,  twenty,  thirty, 
forty  or  fifty  year  bonds,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  engineer 
should  take  the  greatest  care  that  there  can  never  any  ques- 
tion come  up  in  the  future  of  re-locating  the  road  that  has 
been  built  by  means  of  a  bond  issue.  No  matter  what  sur- 
facing material  is  going  to  be  used,  it  will  have  to  be  re- 
paired, and  sometimes  changed.  The  character  of  the  sur- 
facing material  will  depend  upon  the  traffic;  but  the  loca- 
tion should  be  put  in  with  the  idea  that  ten,  twenty  or  even 
fifty  years  hence  no  question  whatever  should  be  raised  as 
to  the  necessity  of  changing  or  re-locating  that  road.  I 
think  we  have  gone  far  enough  in  our  highway  work  and  in 
the  study  of  the  highway  problems  to  be  able  to  work  out 
as  they  have  in  railway  construction  certain  definite  princi- 
ples in  regard  to  grade,  curvature,  etc.,  in  connection  with 
the  location.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  Is  there  any  further  discus- 
sion, gentlemen? 

A.  D.  WILLIAMS  (West  Virginia):  The  Chalmers  and 
Fierce-Arrow  automobile  companies  have  recently  been  con- 
ducting some  experiments  on  the  comparison  of  grades  and 
surfaces.  Their  conclusions  show  that  on  sand,  as  com- 
pared with  a  surface  of  either  brick,  concrete,  asphalt  or 
macadam,  a  twenty-eight  per  cent  grade  on  the  hard  sur- 
face offsets  a  two  per  cent  grade  in  loose,  dry  sand.  The 
effect  of  grades  on  the  torque  of  the  engine  is  not  as  im- 
portant to  the  automobile  owner  as  the  question  of  surface. 
One  of  the  most  important  things  to  consider  in  locating  an 
automobile  road  is  the  radius  of  curvature,  the  sight-line  as 
Mr.  Roy  has  brought  out.  For  instance,  you  take  a  car 
traveling  at  the  rate  of  twenty  miles  an  hour,  meeting  an- 
other coming  at  the  same  rate,  those  cars  are  coming  to- 
gether at  the  rate  of  3,520  feet  per  minute.  With  a  little 
carelessness  on  the  part  of  either  one  the  lives  of  the  parties 
in  both  cars  are  very  much  in  danger. 

I  do  not  agree  exactly  with  the  ideas  of  some  of  our  en- 
gineers on  the  question  of  maximum  and  minimum  grade. 
For  instance,  while  we  consider  the  auto  truck  and  the  pleas- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  99 

ure  automobile  now,  the  old  horse  for  many,  many  years 
yet  to  come  will  be  the  item  upon  which  we  must  base  the 
maximum  grade.  It  has  been  demonstrated  by  careful  ob- 
servers, those  who  have  given  the  problem  consideration, 
that  a  horse  for  a  limited  period  of  time,  can  exert  forty  per 
cent  of  his  weight  in  tractive  force;  then  oftentimes  for  a 
short  distance  it  is  better  to  place  a  six  or  seven  per  cent 
grade  over  a  limited  distance  rather  than  to  make  a  deep 
and  expensive  cut,  especially  when  the  finances  of  the  com- 
munity will  oniy  permit  of  a  certain  expenditure  and  the 
demands  of  the  community  call  for  more  mileage  of  road. 
(Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  Is  there  any  further  discus- 
sion, gentlemen? 

E.  I.  CANTINE  (State  Highway  Engineer,  Oregon):  My 
remarks  are  brought  about  by  Mr.  Benson  stating  in  an  ad- 
dress at  the  exposition  that  he  hoped  to  see  the  time  when 
he  could  go  on  high  gear  from  the  Mexican  line  through  to- 
Vancouver  and  the  Siskiyou  Pass.  If  Mayor  Bowly  will 
allow  me  to  correct  a  statement  he  made,  the  controlling 
grade  on  the  Siskiyou  is  six  and  not  five  per  cent.  The  en- 
gineer who  was  Mr.  Bowlby's  assistant  on  that  work  has 
continued  under  my  direction  on  the  work.  He  is  an  ex- 
ceedingly bright  man  and  has  brought  out  some  experiments 
which  it  seems  to  me  might  be  of  interest  to  you  here.  I 
took  charge  of  the  work  and  I  asked  them  why  they  arbi- 
trarily set  six  per  cent  as  the  controlling  grade  rather  than! 
five,  or  four  or  eight,  and  there  didn't  seem  to  be  any  reason 
to  be  given,  but  in  all  the  work  in  Oregon  except  on  the 
Siskiyou  the  five  per  cent  grade  has  been  used  as  the  maxi- 
mum controlling  grade.  Mr.  Kittridge,  this  last  summer, 
when  he  had  the  paving  operations  resumed,  had  occasion 
to  go  up  and  down  that  mountain,  and  he  found  to  his  in- 
terest and  surprise  that  with  his  Maxwell  machine,  a  ma- 
chine of  ordinary  power,  he  could  operate  on  the  mountain, 
navigate  it  on  high  gear  wherever  the  grades  didn't  exceed 
five  per  cent;  but  the  minute  he  struck  any  of  the  long  six 
per  cent  grades  he  had  to  throw  it  into  intermediate,  and  to 
my  mind  that  was  one  controlling  reason  why  we  should 
bold  down  to  the  five  per  cent  grade  as  far  as  the  automobile 
traffic  is  concerned.  That  was  our  experience  in  Siskiyou 
last  summer,  that  where  our  five  per  cent  grade  controlled 
for  even  three-quarters  of  a  mile  we  could  handle  it  on 
high  gear  all  right;  but  where  we  got  near  or  more  than 
six  per  cent  we  would  have  to  throw  it  into  intermediate.. 
(Applause.) 

MR.  BOWLBY:  I  might  say  the  reason  there  was  a  six 
per  cent  grade  on  Siskiyou  Mountain  section  was  due  to  this 
fact.  Jackson  county  had  started  to  locate  this  road  before 


100  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

it  was  turned  over  to  the  state  highway  department  and  they 
had  spent  considerable  money  on  the  preliminary  work,  and 
when  it  was  turned  over  to  the  state  highway  department 
they  were  very  much  opposed  to  trying  to  use  a  five  per  cent 
grade  in  the  location,  and  very  much  against  my  better  judg- 
ment we  gave  in  to  them  and  used  the  work  that  they  had 
already  done,  and  continued  the  location  of  the  road  with  r, 
six  per  cent  grade.  I  have  from  the  very  start  regretted 
that  we  did  so.  One  of  the  problems  that  the  engineer  is  up 
against  all  the  time  is  whether  or  not  to  sacrifice  what  he 
knows  is  best  to  the  urgings  of  the  local  communities  and 
local  conditions. 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  Is  there  any  further  discus- 
sion, gentlemen?  Before  taking  up  the  next  subject  I  wish 
tc  read  an  invitation  from  the  Department  of  Commerce  as 
follows: 

"The  members  of  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress  are 
cordially  invited  to  visit  the  exhibit  of  engineering  and  phys- 
ical work  by  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Standards  in  the 
northwest  section  of  the  Palace  of  Liberal  Arts,  Panama- 
Pacific  International  Exposition.  Engineers  and  physicists 
are  requested  to  make  themselves  known  to  the  attendants 
and  learn  how  to  avail  themselves  of  the  facilities  of  the 
Bureau.  (Signed)  Arthur  W.  Gray, 

Special  Agent  in  Charge  of  Exhibit." 

I  wish  also  to  announce  that  the  congress  is  in  receipt  of 
an  invitation  from  a  number  of  officials,  including  the  mayor, 
oi  the  city  of  Rochester,  New  York,  to  hold  its  meeting 
there  next  year. 

The  next  paper  on  the  program  is  on  the  subject  of 
"Road  Drainage  and  Foundations,"  by  Mr.  George  W. 
Cooley,  State  Engineer  and  Secretary  of  the  State  Highway 
Commission  of  Minnesota.  -Is  Mr.  Cooley  present?  His 
paper  is  here,  gentlemen,  and  it  can  be  read.  I  think  we  will 
have  no  trouble  in  getting  through  with  the  program,  and  as 
the  management  seems  to  have  left  me  without  a  secretary 
or  acting  secretary,  if  you  will  excuse  the  lapse' of  dignity  I 
will  read  the  paper  myself. 


Road  Drainage  and  Foundations 

By  GEO.  W.  COOLEY 
State  Engineer  and  Secretary  of  the  Highway  Commission  of  Minnesota 

Most  foundation  troubles  are  caused  by  difficulty  of  drain- 
age and  although  the  value  of  proper  dra'inage  is  admitted  by 
all,  it  is  a  fact  that  road  engineers  and  superintendents  will 
in  many  cases  fail  to  provide  for  the  elaborate  drainage  neces- 
sary to  a  proper  foundation,  for  the  reason  that  funds  are 
limited  and  expensive  drainage  work  reduces  the  amount  of 
available  funds  for  providing  a  suitable  surfacing.  This  ap- 
plies particularly  to  the  great  mileage  of  main  rural  roads  on 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD   CpNGRESS  101 

which  there  is  an  insistent  demand-  by  roac  u^ers  for  surfac- 
ing, with  impatience  at  delay  or  restriction  of  work  on  ac- 
count of  the  cost  of  providing  proper  foundations. 

So  much  has  been  written  on  the  subject  of  road  founda- 
tions that  the  whole  field  of  investigation  has  apparently  been 
covered,  but  in  any  work  of  construction,  there  may  appear 
some  detail  or  condition  for  which  there  is  no  precedent  and 
which  must  be  met  by  the  ingenuity  or  ability  of  the  engineer 
or  superintendent  in  charge.  As  such  problems  are  generally 
encountered  on  the  improvement  of  county  and  local  roads, 
and  are  apparently  of  such  minor  importance  that  the  in- 
formation is  not  published  or  disseminated,  a  better  general 
knowledge  of  this  work  can  be  obtained  by  a  meeting  at  least 
once  each  year  of  those  in  charge  of  road  work  throughout 
each  state.  It  is  the  lack  of  attention  to  details  of  drainage 
and  foundation  work  which  causes  many  of  the  failures  of 
road  surfaces,  and  the  relating  of  experiences  at  a  meeting  of 
those  actually  in  charge  of  work,  with  technical  advice  from 
proper  authorities,  would  go  a  long  way  toward  securing 
more  permanent  construction. 

We  hear  a  great  deal  about  permanent  road  work,  meaning 
particularly  the  different  kinds  of  road  surfaces,  but  experi- 
ence has  taught  that  the  most  necessary  part  of  road  con- 
struction is  the  foundation  and  that  the  adequacy  of  the 
foundation  controls  to  a  great  extent  the  life  of  the  pavement 
or  surface. 

The  drainage  of  a  road  must  be  complete.  While  the  cost 
of  carrying  water  away  from  the  side  ditches  of  a  road  often 
seems  prohibitive,  the  expense  is  always  warranted  by  the 
better  construction  obtained.  When  impossible  to  provide 
complete  drainage  the  elevation  of  subgrade  of  the  road 
should  be  at  least  2^/2  ft.  above  possible  high  water. 

In  the  Middle  West,  surface  drainage  will  generally  suffice, 
and  a  proper  design  of  road  section  in  such  cases  requires 
gutters  from  \l/2  to  2Vz  ft.  below  subgrade,  the  variation  de- 
pending upon  the  character  of  the  soil.  Gutters  on  grades 
exceeding  5  per  cent,  should  be  paved,  and  in  any  case,  water 
should  not  be  carried  in  road  gutters  farther  than  is  abso- 
lutely necessary. 

In  providing  for  cross  drainage  only  permanent,  substantial 
material  such  as  concrete  should  be  used,  for  tire  failure  of  a 
cross  culvert  will  not  only  block  the  drainage,  but  will  damage 
the  road  surface  and  may  cause  accidents. 

In  heavy  soil,  which  appears  to  be  saturated,  or  in  which 
there  is  seepage,  it  is  advisable  to  place  drain  tile.  Tile 
should  be  so  laid  that  it  will  intercept  the  ground  water,  and 
it  is  frequently  necessary  to  place  a  line  at  each  side  of  the 
road  with  leaders  or  branch  lines  from  the  center  of  road 
at  50-ft.  intervals.  This  construction  is  required  on  sidehills 


102  PAN- AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

which  develop  springy' conditions.  Rock  filled  drains  are  also 
used  successfully  on  sidehill  work,  but  are  not  as  efficient  as 
tiling  on  account  of  their  liability  to  become  partially  clogged 
by  sand  deposits. 

In  undeveloped  swamp  country,  the  most  permanent  work 
is  obtained  by  building  the  embankment  from  excavation  of  a 
dredge  ditch  on  the  upper  side  of  road  with  an  auxiliary  road 
ditch  on  the  lower  side.  When  swamps  have  soundings 
of  from  2  to  5  ft,  the  grade  line  of  dredge  ditch  may  be  dis- 
regarded, excepting  as  to  minimum  depth. 

In  the  construction  of  swamp  roads,  the  top  soil  is  spread 
first  and  then  sufficient  firm  material  is  excavated  to  provide 
a  substantial  foundation.  These  ditches  are  dug  with  practi- 
cally vertical  sides  in  order  to  secure  the  maximum  amount 
of  firm  material  from  the  bottom,  and  are  of  sufficient  size  to 
allow  for  necessary  drainage  after  the  breaking  down  of 
slopes.  The  low  points  in  the  ditch,  where  deeper  excavation 
is  required  to  secure  material,  will  fill  with  sediment  after  a 
year  or  two.  It  sometimes  appears  extravagant  to  make 
such  large  ditches  on  road  work,  but  in  new  country,  lateral 
drainage  is  always  carried  to  the  road  ditches,  and  should  be 
provided  for  in  advance.  There  is  not  much  difference  in 
cost,  however,  between  hand  ditches  and  a  large  dredge  ditch 
on  account  of  the  lower  unit  cost  of  machine  work. 

After  drainage  is  secured,  the  important  points  in  road 
foundations  are  to  eliminate  all  vegetable  or  perishable  mat- 
ter and  to  build  up  the  foundation  uniformly.  Dragging  and 
planing  the  subgrade  as  it  is  being  built  will  prevent  the 
waviness  of  surface  which  develops  occasionally  after  the 
completion  of  a  road,  and  it  is  advisable  to  place  such  re- 
quirement in  specifications. 

Surfacing  with  gravel  constitutes  the  greater  portion  of 
rural  road  work,  and  a  great  deal  of  money  is  wasted  in  not 
properly  preparing  the  foundation  for  this  surface.  Common 
practice  has  allowed  the  placing  of  gravel  to  a  depth  of  from 
6  to  8  ins.  on  clay  or  heavy  soil,  frequently  on  a  newly  shaped 
roadbed.  Until  compacted,  this  coat  of  gravel  serves  as  a 
sponge,  holding  the  water  until  the  subgrade  is  softened, 
thereby  allowing  the  material  to  be  cut  through  and  much 
gravel  lost,  with  a  consequent  rutted  and  uneven  condition  of 
surface. 

Foundations  for  gravelling  should  be  firm  and  hard  and  on 
new  work  this  may  be  accomplished  by  forming  a  crust  with 
a  mixture  of  2  or  3  ins.  of  sand  or  gravel  with  clay  subsoil, 
rolled  to  a  smooth  surface.  On  sand  subsoil,  it  is  equally 
necessary  to  have  a  foundation  to  prevent  loss  of  gravel  and 
in  such  cases  clay  mixture  is  required. 

To  prevent  loss  of  surfacing  gravel  on  sand  a  subgrade, 
where  no  clay  was  available  a  blanket  of  vegetable  material 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  108 

has  been  used  with  complete  success.  In  some  cases  this  has 
been  provided  by  spreading  about  4  ins.  of  loose  straw  for  the 
full  width  of  the  proposed  surfacing,  but  care  must  be  exer- 
cised to  prevent  the  straw  from  mixing  with  the  gravel. 
Muskeg  or  pulverized  peat  has  also  been  used  to  advantage 
under  like  conditions. 

The  foundations  for  higher  types  of  road  surfacing,  such  as 
concrete,  require  even  more  attention  than  for  gravel  or  mac- 
adam roadways.  The  material  must  not  only  be  firm,  with 
adequate  provision  for  drainage,  but  the  subgrade  must  toe 
thoroughly  drained  out  before  the  pavement  is  placed.  Moit 
of  the  cracking  and  failure  of  concrete  roads  has  been  due  to 
moisture  in  the  subgrade  at  the  time  frost  sets  in,  and  this  has 
frequently  occurred  where  tiling  was  laid  and  the  road  built 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  season. 

The  success  of  any  road  is  dependent  upon  the  complete 
drainage  and  uniformity  of  material  in  the  subgrade  or 
foundation,  and  it  would  seem  that  road  authorities  could 
well  afford  to  devote  some  attention  to  educating  the  public 
along  this  line,  for  a  knowledge  of  the  necessity  of  such  work 
is  required  to  secure  public  support,  without  which  the  work 
cannot  proceed  intelligently  or  economically. 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  The  discussion  on  this  subject 
was  to  be  by  Mr.  Compton,  chairman  of  the  paving  com- 
mission of  Baltimore,  but  the  paper  discussion  has  been 
written  by  Mr.  Frank  K.  Duncan  of  Mr.  Compton's  office, 
and  if  you  will  permit  another  lapse  of  dignity  I  will  be 
obliged  to  read  this  also. 

Road  Drainage  and  Foundations 

Discussion  by  FRANK  K.  DUNCAN 
Assistant  Engineer,  Paving  Commission,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Considering  this  topic  from  a  city  street  paving  point  of 
view,  it  is  apparent  that  the  drainage  of  the  subsoil  is  not  a 
serious  problem  or  of  such  vital  importance  as  it  is  in  road 
construction,  owing  to  the  fact  that  very  little  water  finds 
its  way  from  the  surface  to  the  sub-foundation  in  a  city  that 
is  properly  paved  and  sewered.  When  railway  tracks  are  in 
a  street  surface,  water  is  bound  to  find  its  way  along  the 
rails  to  the  subgrade,  and  if  stone  or  gravel  is  used  as  ballast 
this  will  act  as  a  drain,  carrying  the  water  to  the  sumps  in 
grade,  which  points  should  be  properly  connected  up  to  the 
storm-water  drains,  and  of  course  whenever  underground 
streams  or  springs  are  encountered  they  must  be  treated  in 
the  same  manner.  In  cities  having  streets  so  low  as  to  be 
affected  by  tides  or  which  are  below  adjacent  water,  the 
drainage  problem  becomes  one  of  special  study  and  treatment. 

On  the  foundation  of  a  city  street  depends  its  stability, 
the  permanence  of  its  good  condition  and  economical  main- 


104  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

tenance.  It  should  be  such  as  is  capable  of  sustaining  the 
traffic  and  distributing  its  weight  over  a  sufficient  area  of  the 
yielding  soil  beneath.  In  the  preparation  of  the  sub-foun- 
dation or  the  soil,  all  soft  and  spongy  material  below  the  sub- 
grade  should  be  removed  and  replaced  by  good  earth,  care- 
fully rammed,  and  care  should  be  exercised  during  the  grading 
so  that  the  sub-foundation  will  not  be  disturbed  below  the 
subgrade.  It  should  be  hard  and  compact,  and  to  insure 
this  should  be  well  rolled  with  a  steam  roller.  This  is  often 
thought  unnecessary,  but  if  this  is  done  the  roller  will  find 
the  soft  spots  and  old  and  recent  excavations  for  underground 
structures  which  have  been  improperly  backfilled.  These 
trenches  are  often  the  cause  of  failures  in  well-constructed 
pavements. 

The  importance  of  backfilling  of  trenches  is  not  always 
appreciated,  especially  when  the  work  is  done,  not  under  the 
direction  of  the  paving  engineer,  but  by  a  disinterested  con- 
tractor or  department  having  the  underground  work  in 
charge.  The  specifications  for  laying  of  sewers,  water,  gas 
and  other  pipe,  should  contain  a  special  clause  governing 
the  backfilling  of  the  trenches,  and  the  inspection  should 
be  rigid  and  the  specifications  thoroughly  enforced.  Trenches 
made  before  the  paving,  and  cuts  made  after  the  paving  has 
been  completed,  when  refilled  should  be  hand-rammed,  Vwo 
men  to  every  shoveler,  or  puddled  with  water  when  the 
soil  is  pervious,  which  will  allow  the  trench  to  drain  and 
become  dry  and  compact.  When  the  concrete  base  has  been 
cut  and  is  being  restored,  the  old  base  should  be  cut  back 
from  the  trench  on  either  side,  so  that  the  new  base  over 
the  trench  will  have  a  bearing  on  the  original  soil,  and  if 
the  ditch  is  a  wide  one,  steel  reinforcement  costs  little  and 
adds  greatly  to  its  strength.  This  extra  care  and  expense 
will  more  than  be  justified  by  the  permanency  of  the  repair. 

The  real  foundation  for  the  paving  is  the  base,  and  while 
there  are  various  kinds,  most  of  them  have  proved  failures. 
The  only  one  which  seems  worthy  of  considering  is  the 
ideal  one,  concrete,  which,  when  well  laid,  is  a  permanent 
asset.  The  economical  thickness  of  this  base  to  support 
the  pavement  is  a  question  on  which  the  engineer  must 
exercise  his  best  judgment  and  experience.  The  points  to  be 
considered  in  fixing  the  depth  of  -the  base  are  the  nature 
of  the  subsoil,  the  kind  of  traffic,  the  paving  material  to  be 
used  and  the  width  of  the  street  to  be  paved. 

Bituminous  paving,  other  conditions  being  equal,  requires 
a  greater  depth  of  base  than  either  brick  or  stone  paving, 
on  account  of  the  latter  materials,  when  paved  monolithic, 
having  considerable  strength  and  distributing  the  load  over 
a  greater  area  than  the  soft  and  pliable  bituminous  pavement, 
which  has  no  inherent  strength  and  transfers  the  pressure 
directly  to  the  base.  Slow  moving  traffic  requires  less  depth 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  105 

of  base  than  fast,  as  the  impact  of  traffic  is  not  so  great 
from  the  slow-moving  team.  Narrow  streets,  paved  with 
a  crown  and  with  curbs  on  either  side,  owing  to  the  arching 
effect  of  paving,  will  sustain  a  greater  load  than  a  wide 
street,  hence  less  thickness  of  base  can  be  used  for  narrow 
streets  and  alleys. 

The  paving  in  and  adjacent  to  railroad  tracks  is  the  most 
difficult  to  keep  in  repair  in  the  city  street,  and  the  founda- 
tion becomes  one  of  the  utmost  importance,  for  no  matter 
how  carefully  the  paving  is  laid,  if  the  rails  move,  due  to  the 
passing  of  cars,  the  paving  will  soon  go  to  pieces.  Gravel 
or  crushed  stone,  placed  under  the  ties  for,  a  depth  of  about 
6  ins.,  well  tamped,  makes  a  good  foundation,  but  the  ideal 
condition  will  be  realized  if  crushed  stone,  of  such  a  size  as 
will  be  held  on  a  1%-in.  screen  and  will  pass  a  3-in.  screen, 
is  well  tamped  under  the  ties,  bringing  the  track  to  the 
proper  alignment  and  grade,  and  then  the  interstices  in  the 
stone  filled  with  a  cement  grout  in  the  proportions  of  about 
one  to  three.  A  concrete  base  will  then  be  obtained  which 
,v;n  .npfce  the  track  very  rigid.  This  method  has  been  used 
in  Baltimore  during  the  past  year  in  the  laying  of  about  10 
miles  of  tracks,  and  the  result  obtained  has  been  so  satisfactory 
that  this  manner  of  construction  is  well  worthy  to  be 
considered  as  a  standard  foundation  for  all  paving  laid  be- 
tween railway  tracks.  Its  great  advantage  is  that  the  best 
kind  of  a  foundation  is  obtained  without  interfering  with 
the  operation  of  cars. 

The  conclusions  arrived  at,  from  the  observation  of  the 
laying  and  the  maintenance  of  over  100  miles  of  various  kinds 
of  paving  laid  since  1902,  are  that  unless  some  unusual  con- 
ditions exist  at  the  time  of  the  laying  of  the  concrete  base, 
it  need  never  be  over  6  ins.  thick,  and  most  streets  only 
require  a  S-in.  base,  and  alleys  and  small  streets  need  only 
a  4-in.  base.  When  the  concrete  is  well  laid  in  proportion 
of  about  1  part  cement,  3  parts  sand  and  6  parts  stone  or 
gravel,  experience  has  taught  that  no  paving  base  has  failed 
due  to  lack  of  its  depth,  except  over  improperly  filled  trenches 
and  improperly  constructed  sub-structures. 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  This  brings  the  subject  before 
the  meeting,  gentlemen,  and  it  is  now  open  for  general 
discussion. 

MR.  WINN:  I  would  like  to  ask  one  question  so  that 
any  of  the  engineers  in  discussing  that  paper  might  touch 
on  it.  Where  the  crushed  s^one  is  put  under  the  ties  and 
the  gravel  is  poured,  is  it  necessary  for  the  cars  to  be  kept 
off  that  pavement  or  off  the  track  until  that  gravel  has 
set  up? 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  Can  anyone  answer  the  ques- 
tion? 


106  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

MR.  CANTINE:  Ordinarily  I  would  say  yes,  but  I  had 
occasion  a  year  or  two  years  ago  to  put  a  concrete  -floor 
over  the  viaduct  going  over  the  Southern  Pacific  tracks 
leading  out  to  Reed  College.  There  was  a  conference  simi- 
lar to  this  that  week  coming  on  and  they  didn't  want  traffic 
interrupted  for  real  estate  reasons  or  otherwise.  I  told 
them  I  would  try  it  out  and  experiment,  so  between  the 
tracks  on  the  viaduct  over  the  street  I  put  in  a  slab  four 
feet  wide  of  reinforced  concrete.  The  trains  of  the  Southern 
Pacific  were  passing  all  the  time  underneath,  causing  the 
vibration  below  and  the  street  cars  were  going  straight 
along.  When  we,  came  about  our  work  six  weeks  later  we 
took  that  piece  out  and  it  was  absolutely  as  good  as  any. 
The  vibration  of  the  traffic  apparently  had  not  hurt  it  at 
all,  but  of  course  in  ordinary  practice  I  should  say  where 
it  is  possibe,  keep  the  traffic  off. 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  Is  there  any  further  discus- 
sion? 

MR.  CANTINE:  Mr.  Chairman,  there  is  one  feature  of 
drainage  we  have  had  some  experience  with  in  Oregon 
this  last  summer.  It  is  a  truism  that  when  we  were  students 
in  college  we  were  instructed  what  to  do  in  the  matter  of 
drainage.  Down  on  the  Columbia  river  and  also  on  the 
Siskiyou  Pass  last  year  we  had  some  two  or  three  miles 
that  you  couldn't  get  through  with  a  saddle  horse,  so  we 
went  down  with  our  drains  two  and  one-half  feet  below  the 
road  and  filled  it  up  with  rock.  Mr.  Bowlby  knows  the 
situation.  I  think  that  feature  of  drainage  ordinarily  in 
Oregon  at  least  is  not  given  the  proper  consideration.  The 
way  a  man  does  if  he  has  a  bad  hole,  is  to  start  hauling 
rock  and  he  may  put  in  six  inches  or  two  feet  of  rock 
until  he  gets  that  hole  filled  up;  but  the  ordinary  road  main- 
tenance man  does  not  put  the  emphasis  or  does  not  realize 
what  proper  drainage  is.  This  came  on  very  quickly  last 
year.  We  want  to  dig  our  ditches  and  fill  up  our  rock  drain 
so  that  those  ditches  won't  get  clogged  up  and  filled  up. 

MR.  WILLIAMS:  I  do  not  want  to  take  much  time  in 
this  discussion,  but  during  the  past  year  we  have  had  some 
experiences  I  think  in  connection  with  foundations  that  are 
worthy  of  note.  The  first  is  that  leading  out  of  Charleston, 
West  Virginia.  Kanawha  county  constructed  a  piece  of 
Warrenite  road,  sixteen  feet  wide,  upon  the  specifications 
prepared  by  the  company  on  a  four-inch  base  1:3:6  mix.  Af- 
ter six  months  of  traffic — the  kind  of  traffic  that  came  on  to 
the  road  after  the  road  was  approved — thisv  base  proved  to 
be  insufficient.  The  road  cost  thirty-three  thousand  dollars 
per  mile  and  the  surface  on  nearly  a  mile  of  this  road  had 
to  be  relaid  because  of  insufficient  base.  At  the  time  the 
road  was  being  laid  the  state  highway  department  had  noth- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  107 

ing  to  do  with  it  except  in  an  advisory  way,  but  we  made  a 
suggestion  that  the  base  should  be  five  inches  and  that  the 
mix  should  be  richer  than  that  which  they  were  using.  The 
company  who  was  putting  it  in  said  they  were  putting  it  in 
under  a  ten-year  guarantee  and  that  they  would  stand  the 
expense.  They  are  now  resurfacing  the  road  at  a  loss  instead 
of  a  profit. 

Another  question  that  has  troubled  us  considerably  in  con- 
nection with  our  drainage  is  mountain  seepage  in  its  various 
forms.  We  have  elevations  ranging  from  six  hundred  feet 
to  five  thousand  feet  above  sea  level  and  in  those  seepage 
places  we  find  that  the  best  remedy  is  to  make  a  ditch 
parallel  to  the  road  upon  the  upper  side,  placing  an  ordinary 
farm  tile  in  the  bottom  of  the  ditch,  then  filling  the  ditch 
to  the  top  with  crushed  stone,  bringing  the  stone  completely 
to  the  top  and  putting  no  earth  over  it.  At  intervals  this  is 
carried  across  the  road  for  outlets. 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  Is  there  any  further  discus- 
sion, gentlemen?  If  not,  we  will  pass  on  to  the  next  sub- 
ject, "Highway  Bridges  and  Structures."  The  first  paper 
is  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Gearhart,  State  Engineer  of  Kansas. 

Highway  Bridges  and  Structures 

By  W.  S.  GEARHART 
State  Engineer  of  Highways  and  Bridges,  Kansas 

Throughout  the  states  of  the  Central  West  from  40  to  75 
per  cent,  of  all  the  highway  funds  collected  is  expended  for 
the  construction  and  maintenance  of  bridges  and  culverts. 
The  amount  expended  for  new  bridges  and  culverts  on  new 
sites  is  very  small,  so  that  practically  all  of  these  expendi- 
tures should  properly  be  charged  to  maintenance.  The  con- 
stant drain  on  the  public  funds  for  renewing  wood  floors  and 
stringers  and  bridges  built  of  light  steel  is  very  great,  and 
the  flood  damage  to  these  temporary  structures  is  enormous. 

During  the  floods  of  1915  several  Kansas  counties  lost  from 
60  to  70  bridges  each,  and  some  700  structures  were  damaged 
in  the  state.  It  will  require  approximately  $700,000  to  repair 
and  rebuild  these  bridges. 

In  central  Nebraska  along  the  Platte  River  it  is  reported 
that  every  bridge  for  a  distance  of  75  miles  is  now  out  and 
in  Texas  it  is  estimated  that  the  county  bridges  and  roads 
were  damaged  to  the  amount  of  nearly  a  million  dollars  in 
the  floods  during  April  and  May  of  1915.  It  is  also  esti- 
mated that  the  Ohio  Valley  flood  of  1913  damaged  the  high- 
way bridges  in  Ohio  alone  to  the  amount  of  about  $8,000,000. 

In  the  Kaw  River  flood  of  1903,  16  of  the  17  large  highway 
and  railroad  bridges  at  Kansas  City  were  wrecked  in  two 
hours'  time  by  the  drift  which  piled  up  against  the  super- 


108  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

structures  and  lifted  or  pushed  them  off  their  foundations. 
The  damage  to  these  17  bridges  amounted  to  about  $1,500,000. 
The  indirect  losses  due  to  the  interference  with  traffic,  the 
delay  in  marketing  farm  crops  and  the  suspension  of  busi- 
ness cannot  be  estimated.  These  losses,  however,  where  the 
river  bridges  are  out  are  always  very  great  for  it  requires 
at  least  six  months  to  one  year  to  rebuild  them. 

In  the  past  twelve  years  Kansas  has  sustained  a  total  loss 
on  highway  bridges  alone  conservatively  estimated  at 
$3,000,000. 

Forty  years  ago  practically  all  of  the  highway  bridges  were 
wood  pile  structures,  but  about  that  time  a  large  number 
of  metal  bow-string  bridges  known  as  King  arches  were 
built  over  the  larger  streams.  These  arches  were  well  built 
and  were  supported  on  stone  masonry  abutments  and  piers. 
The  footings  of  the  foundations  were  carried  a  safe  distance 
below  the  bed  of  stream.  No  piers  were  used  in  the  main 
channel  unless  a  span  of  more  than  200  ft.  was  required. 
The  natural  or  normal  channel  was  completely  spanned,  the 
superstructure  placed  above  high  water  and  adequate  water- 
way was  provided.  Hundreds  of  these  old  bridges  are  in  use 
today.  The  metal  superstructures  are  light  and  will  not 
safely  carry  modern  traffic,  but  the  foundations  were  prop- 
erly built  and  ample  waterway  was  provided  and  as  a  re- 
sult the  public  has  had  the  continued  use  of  these  bridges 
since  they  were  opened  to  traffic. 

About  thirty  years  ago  the  first  light  steel  highway  bridges 
so  common  everywhere  today,  were  built.  Almost  from  the 
beginning  the  design,  construction  and  material  used  in  these 
steel  bridges  have  apparently  continued  to  become  more 
defective  and  the  method  of  handling  the  work  little  more 
businesslike.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  the 
bridge  agents  have  been  permitted  or  requested  to  design 
and  construct  the  highway  bridges  without  restraint  and 
the  public  is  now  reaping  the  reward  for  its  indifference. 
Fortunately,  however,  the  method  of  handling  highway 
bridge  work  is  rapidly  changing. 

The  following  is  a  typical  example  of  the  results  of  the 
kind  of  bridge  building  referred  to  above.  In  the  year  1900 
a  light  steel  bridge  800  ft.  long  with  cylinder  pier  founda- 
tions was  designed  by  a  bridge  agent  and  built  over  the 
Kaw  River  in  Kansas  at  a  cost  of  $14,000,  and  in  1903  it  was 
partially  destroyed  and  repaired  at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  In 
1907  it  was  partially  destroyed  and  repaired  at  a  cost  of 
$9,000,  and  in  1910  it  was  again  partially  destroyed  and  re- 
built at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  The  initial  failure  was  in  the  foun- 
dation in  each  case.  During  these  ten  years  the  bridge 
cost  $39,000  and  four  years  out  of  the  ten  it  was  closed. 
With  an  original  outlay  of  about  $35,000  a  bridge  could 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  109 

have  been  built  which  would  have  withstood  any  of  these 
floods. 

These  failures  have  been  due  to  the  use  of  poor  materials, 
improperly  designed  and  poorly  constructed  foundations, 
placing  the  superstructure  too  low  and  providing  inade- 
quate waterways.  However,  these  faulty  designs  and  fail- 
ures have  been  primarily  due  to  the  lack  of  competent  en- 
gineering supervision  and  to  insufficient  funds  to  cover  the 
first  cost  of  a  properly  designed,  well-built  and  thoroughly 
protected  structure. 

When  the  conditions  are  such  that  all  of  the  water  from 
a  given  drainage  area  must  be  carried  under  the  bridge  the 
required  waterway  area  can  be  determined  approximately 
if  the  size,  slope  and  character  of  the  drainage  area  are 
known.  From  the  United  States  topographical  maps  the 
area  of  the  watershed  can  be  determined  with  reasonable 
accuracy  in  many  cases.  The  accompanying  table  gives  the 
waterway  areas,  for  different  sized  drainage  areas,  used  by  a 
number  of  the  principal  railroads  in  designing  their  drain- 
age structures  in  Kansas,  Missouri,  Oklahoma,  Arkansas, 
Nebraska,  Iowa,  c.nd  Illinois.  Years  of  experience  have 
demonstrated  that  these  tables  when  used  with  due  con- 
sideration for  the  local  conditions  are  an  excellent  guide. 

In  the  prairie  country  the  natural  stream  channels  will 
not  ordinarily  carry  all  the  water  and  in  flood  time  the  whole 
bottom  is  overflowed.  Generally  no  attempt  is  made  in 
constructing  and  maintaining  highways  in  these  valleys  to 
throw  up  an  embankment  above  the  natural  ground  level 
or  above  the  high  water  as  the  railroads  have  done,  except 
at  the  bridge  approaches.  This  condition  does  not  affect 
the  height  at  which  the  bridges  should  be  located,  but  it 
does  make  it  impracticable  and  unnecessary  to  carry  all  of 
the  flood  water  under  these  structures.  It  also  renders  any 
drainage  area  tables  more  or  less  useless  and  complicates  the 
problem  of  deciding  the  proper  length  of  bridge  to  use  and 
the  waterway  area  to  provide. 

It  has  been  the  writer's  practice  under  such  circumstances 
to  design  the  bridges  with  sufficient  length  to  span  the  natu- 
ral or  normal  stream  channel  and  to  provide  enough  water- 
way area  to  carry  the  maximum  flow  or  capacity  of  such 
channel,  to  place  the  bridge  at  an  elevation  well  above  high 
water,  and  to  use  no  piers  near  the  center  of  the  main 
channel  if  they  can  possibly  be  avoided.  It  must  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  the  bridge  and  its  approaches 
should  be  designed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  obstruct  the 
stream  a  minimum  amount;  for  any  congestion  or  damming 
up  of  the  water  may  endanger  the  bridge,  cut  out  the  ap- 
proach fills  and  damage  private  property.  In  every  case 
the  local  conditions  require  keen  engineering  insight  and 
judgment. 


110 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 


AREA   OP   OPENINGS    REQUIRED    FOR   DRAINAGE    AREAS. 
%* 
%v  Union  Pacific 

C  =  %  to  1  for  steep,  rocky  ground. 


Acres 
Drained 

4 

ri 

32 

+J  eg* 

e£ 

C  =  %  for  rolling. 
H  C  =  1/6  to  1/5  for  long,  narrow 
leys. 
A  W  =  C.  A%. 

,  flat  val- 

u 

P 

C  =  1 

C  =  % 

C 

=  %  C  =  1/5 

C  =  1/6 

io 

2.0 

3. 

t 

5.6 

4.0 

1.9 

1. 

1 

1.0 

20 

4.0 

5. 

9 

9.46 

6.0 

3.15 

2.0 

1.6 

30 

5.5 

8.4 

12.8 

8.5 

4.2 

2. 

6 

2.1 

40 

7.0 

10. 

9 

15.9 

10.6 

5.3 

3. 

2 

2.7 

50 

8.0 

13. 

4 

19.0 

12.7 

6.3 

4. 

0 

3.2 

100 

14.0 

25. 

9 

32.0 

21.4 

10.7 

6. 

4 

5.4 

200 

24.5 

45. 

7 

54.0 

36.0 

18.0 

11. 

0 

9.0 

300 

34.0 

64. 

4 

72.0 

48.0 

24.0 

14. 

4 

12.0 

400 

42.5 

76. 

0 

92.0 

62.0 

30.7 

18. 

4 

15.4 

500 

51.0 

87. 

0 

165.0 

70.0 

35.0 

21. 

0 

17.5 

1,000 

100 

156 

178 

120 

57 

36 

36 

2,000 

160 

312 

260 

166 

83 

52 

42 

3,000 

210 

435 

400 

266 

133 

80 

67 

4,000 

252 

522 

510 

340 

170 

102 

85 

5,000 

292 

595 

540 

360 

180 

108 

90 

10,000 

482 

853 

1,000 

866 

333 

200 

167 

20,000 

740 

1,205 

1,758 

1,200 

600 

350 

300 

•30,000 

965 

1,470 

2,240 

1,500 

750 

450 

375 

40,000 

1,685 

2,900 

2,000 

1 

,000 

580 

500 

50,000 

1,876 

3,320 

2,200 

1 

100 

664 

550 

100,000 

2,716 

5,630 

3,740 

1 

,870 

1 

,126 

935 

200,000 

3,696 

9,500 

6,400 

3 

,200 

1 

,900 

1,600 

300,000 

4,453 

12,800 

8,600 

4 

,300 

2 

,560 

2,150 

400,000 

5,130 

16,000 

10,600 

5 

,300 

3 

,333 

2,650 

500,000 

5,728 

18,700 

12,600 

6 

,300 

3 

,780 

3,150 

1,000,000 

7,870 

31,700 

22,000 

11 

,000 

6 

,340 

5,500 

5,000,000 

105,000 

70,000 

35 

,000 

21 

,000 

17,500 

NOTE:  Dun's  tables  were  prepared  from  observations  of 
streams  in  southwest  Missouri,  eastern  Kansas,  western  Ar- 
kansas and  the  south  central  portions  of  Oklahoma.  In  all  of 
this  region  steep,  rocky  slopes  prevail  and  the  soil  absorbs  but 
a  small  percentage  of  the  rainfalls.  It  indicates  larger  water- 
ways than  are  required  in  western  Kansas,  the  level  portions 
of  Missouri,  Colorado,  New  Mexico  and  eastern  Texas.  These 
tables  are  based  on  data  gotten  from  different  western  ra41- 
roads  and  from  actual  surveys  and  on  a  6-inch  rainfall  in  24 
hours  taken  from  government  statistics,  with  the  understand- 
ing that  most  of  it  falls  in  6  or  8  hours  with  a  run-off  of  172 
cu.  ft.  per  sec.  and  a  velocity  of  4  miles  per  hour  or  6  feet  per 
second. 


An  inspection  of  the  old  bridges  on  the  stream  above  and 
"below  the  new  site  may  furnish  some  valuable  data,  but  too 
much  reliance  should  not  be  placed  on  the  length  of  spans 
used  and  the  amount  of  waterway  provided  at  these  old 
bridges  in  determining  the  dimensions  of  the  new  structure, 
for  by  following  the  stream  a  few  miles  it  is  not  uncommon 
to  find  the  lengths  of  the  different  highway  bridges  and  their 
waterway  areas  varying  100  per  cent,  to  400  per  cent,  under 
practically  the  same  conditions.  These  variations  are  largely 
due  to  the  amount  of  funds  that  were  available  when  the 
different  structures  were  built,  the  whims  of  the  different 
officials  who  had  charge  of  the  work  at  the  time,  the 
local  materials  available  at  the  bridge  site.  Other  local 
conditions  of  course  played  an  important  part.  For  in- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  111 

stance,  when  a  persistent  farmer  or  two  owns  the  land  on 
the  up-stream  side  of  the  proposed  bridge  there  is  always  a 
strong  tendency  to  increase  the  waterway  and  the  length 
of  the  structure. 

By  inspecting  the  stream  channel  for  a  mile  or  two  above 
and  below  the  proposed  bridge  site  and  taking  a  number 
of  cross  sections  the  natural  or  normal  channel  area  can  be 
determined.  From  this  and  the  other  known  conditions  the 
length  of  span  required  can  also  be  determined. 

The  height  of  a  bridge  over  a  stream  of  this  kind  is  even 
more  important  than  its  length  or  waterway  area,  and  the 
high  water  marks  are  generally  difficult  to  locate  accurate- 
ly. The  old  residents  can  furnish  valuable  information  con- 
cerning the  height  of  different  floods,  but  the  elevations  given 
should  not  be  accepted  as  accurate  until  checked  by  some 
other  means.  Marks  or  indications  can  generally  be  found 
about  the  old  bridges  and  elevation  given  on  these  old 
structures  by  the  local  people  are  much  more  accurate  than 
the  elevations  designated  by  them  on  trees,  posts  or  other 
objects. 

Drainage  tables  should  be  used  as  a  check  when  there  is 
any  doubt  about  the  information  available. 

Where  the  stream  will  probably  be  leveed  in  the  near 
future  it  may  be  advisable  to  design  the  bridge  abutments 
so  that  they  can  be  altered  at  small  cost  and  used  as  piers. 

In  the  arid  country  the  highway  bridge  problem  is  a  seri- 
ous matter,  even  though  many  of  the  stream  beds  are  dry 
most  of  the  time.  The  streams  generally  have  a  heavy  fall, 
the  rainfall  is  violent  and  the  percentage  of  run-off  very 
large.  The  floods  come  like  torrents  and  in  a  few  hours  are 
gone.  The  Russian  thistles  accumulate  in  the  ravines  in 
great  quantities  and  during  floods  the  streams  carry  tons  of 
this  debris.  It  is  impracticable  in  many  cases  to  bridge 
these  streams  with  a  high  structure  on  account  of  the  lack 
of  funds,  the  difficulty  in  maintaining  the  approach  fills  and 
the  danger  of  the  structure  being  swept  away  by  accumula- 
tions of  drift — Russian  thistles. 

These  stream  beds  are  sandy  and  cannot  be  forded  with- 
out great  difficulty.  There  are  no  ice  floes  so  that  low 
water  wood  pile  bridges  have  been  used  successfully  for 
these  crossings.  Concrete  and  reinforced  concrete  pavings 
have  also  been  used,  but  it  is  the  writer's  observation  that 
they  are  not  satisfactory  because  the  pavings  undermine  and 
break  u£,  even  when  deep  curtain  walls  are  used  on  both 
the.  up  and  down  stream  sides  of  the  paving. 

The  writer  designed  and  supervised  the  construction  of  a 
low  water  reinforced  concrete x slab  bridge  at  Ashland,  Kan- 
sas, in  1910.  The  length  of  the  structure  is  60  ft.  over  all, 
and  it  is  composed  of  two  plain  concrete  abutments,  two 
piers  and  three  reinforced  concrete  slabs.  The  clear  width 


112  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

of  the  roadway  is  18  ft.  The  footings  of  the  abutments  and 
piers  were  carried  about  5  ft.  below  the  bed  of  stream  and 
into  the  soapstone  from  6  to  12  ins.  to  prevent  undermin- 
ing. The  wing  walls  were  carried  well  back  into  the  bank. 

The  bottom  of  the  slabs  is  about  16  ins.  above  the  bed 
of  the  stream  and  the  total  height  of  the  bridge  above  the 
bed  of  stream  is  less  than  3  ft.  The  opening  under- 
neath is  just  high  enough  to  carry  the  ordinary  flow  and  to 
permit  the  removal  of  any  accumulation  of  debris,  and  the 
top  of  the  bridge  is  below  the  elevation  at  which  the  stream 
carries  drift.  In  other  words,  the  water  flows  over  the 
top  of  the  structure  before  the  drift  begins  to  run.  Other- 
wise the  bridge  would  act  as  a  dam  and  there  would  be  large 
quantities  of  drift  to  remove  after  each  flood  and  the  ap- 
proach fills  would  be  cut  out.  This  bridge  has  been  under 
10  to  12  ft.  of  water  five  or  six  times  during  the  past  five 
years  and  it  has  not  been  injured  in  the  slightest. 

The  floods  are  of  short  duration  so  that  the  bridge  is 
never  under  water  to  exceed  from  six  to  ten  hours  at  any 
one  time,  and  this  does  not  occur  more  than  once  or  twice 
in  a  year.  The  actual  cost  of  this  bridge  was  $1,220.  A 
high  steel  bridge  would  have  cost  not  less  than  $2,500.  At 
the  present  time  there  are  ten  or  fifteen  of  these  low  water 
reinforced  concrete  slab  bridges  in  the  state  and  the  writer 
has  just  completed  plans  for  another  one  574  ft.  long,  to  be 
located  across  the  Cimarron  River  in  Morton  County, 
Kansas. 

Where  the  steel  highway  bridges  have  been  placed  well 
above  high  water  so  that  the  drift  could  not  pile  up  against 
the  spans,  and  the  superstructures  were  securely  anchored  to 
the  foundations  practically  all  of  the  flood  damages  have 
been  due  to  the  use  of  improperly  designed  and  poorly  con- 
structed tubular  piers  or  steel  leg  and  mud  sill  foundations. 

The  ice  floods  have  been  particularly  disastrous  to  this 
type  of  foundation. 

A  few  stone  and  concrete  foundations  have  failed  where 
the  footings  were  shallow  and  no  piling  was  used.  If  the 
abutments  and  piers  are  carried  down  to  bedrock  or  well 
into  the  stream  bed,  and  are  supported  on  piles  and  de- 
signed and  constructed  in  accordance  with  good  engineering 
practice,  the  losses  due  to  foundation  failures  will  be  very 
slight. 

After  the  1903  flood  in  the  Kaw  River  Valley,  Dr4  J.  A.  H. 
Waddell,  consulting  engineer,  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  pub- 
lished a  detailed  report  of  the  condition  of  the  17  bridge's  at 
Kansas  City  referred  to  above,  in  which  he  states:  "The  only 
set  of  solid  concrete  piers  in  the  river  were  those  of  the 
Kansas  City  Southern  Railway  Company's  bridge  at  Ohio 
Avenue.  These  piers  were  located  near  the  mouth  of  the 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  113 

river,  where  they  were  struck  by  all  the  debris,  but  they  were 
practically  uninjured."  He  further  states  that,  "concrete 
piers  of  proper  dimensions  will  withstand  without  injury 
any  such  floods." 

Many  examples  of  reinforced  concrete  bridges  having  spans 
of  50  ft.  or  less  could  be  cited  which  have  been  entirely  sub- 
merged in  violent  floods  without  injury  except  the  washing 
out  of  the  earth  approaches.  These  approach  fills  can  be 
protected  by  concrete  or  stone  masonry  retaining  walls  or 
by  riprapping  the  side  slopes. 

The  stream  banks  immediately  above  the  highway  bridges 
are  seldom  protected  and  much  damage  is  done  in  the  al- 
luvial valleys  by  the  water  cutting  around  the  bridges  or 
forming  new  channels.  This  can  be  prevented  effectively 
by  the  use  of  jetties  to  direct  the  current  under  the  bridge 
and  by  revetment  to  prevent  erosion. 

To  reduce  the  highway  bridge  expenditures  a  better  system 
of  financing  should  be  provided  to  meet  the  higher  first  cost 
of  permanent  structures.  This  extra  expense,  however,  will 
not  average  to  exceed  30  per  cent,  more  than  the  prices  now 
paid  for  temporary  structures.  The  plans  and  specifications 
should  be  prepared  by  expert  engineers  employed  by  and 
representing  the  public,  not  some  special  interests,  and  they 
should  be  approved  by  the  state  highway  department  and  the 
work  carried  on  under  the  direct  supervision  of  a  competent 
engineer.  The  necessary  funds  can  in  most  cases  be  pro- 
vided readily  for  permanent  bridges  if  the  expense  is  dis- 
tributed over  a  period  of  years  not  exceeding  thirty.  It  has 
been  demonstrated  that  the  issuing  of  serial  short  time 
bonds,  or  capitalizing  the  resources  of  a  community,  for 
public  improvements  is  good  business,  and  if  the  same  pol- 
icy were  followed  in  the  construction  of  permanent  highway 
bridges  and  culverts  the  enormous  expenditures  for  the 
maintenance  of  these  drainage  structures  could  be  practically 
eliminated  in  from  ten  to  twenty  years.  Since  the  bridges 
and  culverts  must  be  maintained  if  the  roads  are  to  be  used 
at  all,  and  since  they  can  be  made  permanent,  why  not  build 
them  right  and  do  it  now,  and  have  the  use  of  safe,  economi- 
cal structures? 


CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  The  next  item  on  the  program 
is  a  discussion  on  this  subject  by  Clifford  Older,  bridge  en- 
gineer of  the  state  highway  department  of  Illinois. 


Discussion  by  Clifford  Older 

Bridge   Engineer,    Illinois   Highway   Department 

That  very  large  sums  of  money  are  annually  spent  in  the 
United  States  for  the  repair  and  renewal  of  poorly  designed 


114  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

highway  bridges  is  beyond  question.  It  is  also  a  clearly 
demonstrable  fact  that  the  greater  part  of  this  expenditure 
may,  in  the  future,  be  rendered  unnecessary  by  placing  the 
design,  construction  and  maintenance  of  highway  bridges 
under  competent  engineering  supervision. 

The  avoidable  annual  expenditure  for  highway  bridge  pur- 
poses can  only  be  estimated,  as  exact  figures  are  not  obtain- 
able. Illinois  spends  annually  about  four  million  dollars  for 
highway  bridge  renewal  and  maintenance,  and  this  figure  is 
about  one-half  of  the  ordinary  road  and  bridge  fund  of  the 
state.  Iowa  reports  for  the  same  purpose  the  expenditure 
of  more  than  five  million  dollars  for  1915,  which  is  also  about 
one-half  of  the  road  and  bridge  fund  of  that  state.  Kansas 
and  Wisconsin  also  estimate  that  about  one-half  of  the  ordi- 
nary road  and  bridge  fund  is  expended  for  bridge  work. 

If  this  proportion  holds  true  for  all  other  states,  then  of 
the  two  hundred  million  dollars  annually  expended  in  the 
United  States  for  roads  and  bridges,  aside  from  state  aid 
work,  approximately  one  hundred  million  dollars  is  expended 
annually  for  highway  bridge  purposes. 

Data  collected  by  the  Illinois  Highway  Department  plainly 
indicates  that,  had  all  highway  bridges  built  in  Illinois  dur- 
ing the  past  twenty  years  been  designed  and  constructed  in 
accordance  with  the  best  engineering  practice  of  the  period, 
considerably  more  than  one-half  of  the  present  annual  ex- 
penditure for  bridges  would  not  be  necessary. 

As  an  illustration,  the  "king  arches"  mentioned  in  Mr. 
Gearhart's  paper  were  probably  designed  as  well  as  engi 
neering  practice  of  fifty  years  ago  would  indicate  as  necessary 
at  that  time,  and  as  a  result,  the  average  life  of  these  struc- 
tures in  Illinois  has  been  fully  fifty  years.  In  contrast  to 
this  distinctive  record,  the  average  age  of  all  old  highway 
bridges  now  being  replaced  by  more  permanent  structures 
is  less  than  fifteen  years.  This  illustration  seems  to  indicate 
that  the  number  of  bridges  renewed  each  year  may,  in  the 
future,  be  reduced  to  one-third  of  the  present  figure. 

Assuming,  however,  that  competent  engineering  super- 
vision of  highway  bridge  construction  and  maintenance  may 
eventually  make  possible  a  reduction  of  one-half  in  these 
items,  the  saving  for  the  United  States,  as  a  whole,  may  con- 
servatively be  placed  at  fifty  million  dollars  per  annum. 

That  it  .will  amply  repay  every  state,  in  which  state  control 
of  highway  construction  is  not  now  exercised,  to  establish 
a  highway  department  well  supported  by  proper  legislation, 
is  a  logical  conclusion. 

A  brief  review  of  the  principal  items  which  swell  the  total 
expenditure  for  the  repair  and  renewal  of  highway  bridgef 
will  show  the  feasibility  of  making  a  very  marked  reduction 
in  the  future  cost  of  the  bridge  maintenance. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  115 

Grossly  defective  foundations,  which  render  the  bridges 
particularly  liable  to  flood  damage,  are  responsible  for  the 
greatest  number  of  early  renewals.  It  is  a  fairly  common 
occurrence,  in  the  office  of  the  Illinois  Highway  Depart- 
ment, to  receive  a  report  that  fifty  or  one  hundred  square 
miles  of  territory  have  been  swept  practically  clean  of  high- 
way bridges.  A  report  of  an  excessive  rainfall  in  certain  of 
the  less  progressive  sections  of  the  state  is  sure  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  a  report  of  a  heavy  loss  to  the  drainage  structures. 
In  other  sections,  where,  due  to  some  original  precedent,  it 
has  been  the  prevailing  practice  to  provide  stone,  and  more 
recently,  concrete  foundations  or  complete  reinforced  con- 
crete  structures,  flood  damage  is  comparatively  insignificant. 

Another  very  important  item  of  maintenance  expense  is 
the  repairs  to  the  plank,  floors  which,  until  recently,  were 
provided  on  practically  all  highway  bridges.  This  item  may 
be  greatly  reduced  in  a  comparatively  short  time  by  replacing 
the  planks  with  creosoted  blocks  on  creosoted  sub-plank; 
creosoted  sub-plank  with  a  bituminous  gravel  wearing  sur- 
face, or  even  by  the  use  of  creosoted  plank  alone  when  the 
traffic  is  so  light  as  to  cause  but  little  wear.  In  using  such 
floors  on  old  bridges,  due  consideration  must  be  given  to 
the  danger  of  overloading  the  superstructure,  the  expected 
length  of  life  of  the  bridge  and  the  character  and  magnitude 
of  the  traffic  as  related  to  the  cost  of  maintaining  the  floor. 

New  bridges  may  be  provided  with  any  one  of  the  several 
types  of  the  more  permanent  bridge  floors  now  available. 
Considering  maintenance,  any  of  the  best  modern  pavements 
will  show  economy,  when  compared  with  an  ordinary  plank 
floor.  There  may  be  exceptions  to  this  in  districts  where 
timber  is  comparatively  cheap,  when  the  present  price  only 
of  timber  is  considered. 

Decay  is  the  natural  cause  of  the  expense  of  maintaining 
old  wooden  structures  and  cannot  be  avoided. 

The  construction  of  creosoted  timber  structures  is  well 
worth  considering  under  some  conditions. 

The  rusting  of  steel  superstructures  is  the  cause  of  a  con- 
siderable number  of  bridge  renewals  and  this  can  easily  be 
remedied  by  the  proper  application  of  protective  coatings. 
Damage,  due  wholly  to  excessive  live  loads,  is  comparatively 
rare,  except  in  the  cases  where  the  immediate  cause  of  the 
accident  is  the  rotting  of  wood  or  the  rusting  of  steel. 

The  greater  part  of  the  flood  damage  to  highway  drainage 
structures  in  Illinois,  and  probably  elsewhere,  occurs  because 
of  the  neglect  of  the  most  elemental  principles  of  bridge  and 
culvert  design  and  construction,  when  engineering  supervision 
is  not  exercised.  The  substitution  of  steel  "legs,"  "posts" 
or  "tubes"  for  adequate  masonry  foundations  is  the  principal 
defect.  The  lack  of  a  sufficient  waterway  area  is  compara- 


116  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

tively  of  little  importance  and,  in  fact,  most  of  the  old  bridges 
in  Illinois  provide  very  generous  waterways.  This  condi- 
tion is  due  partly  to  the  fact  that,  under  the  old  system  of 
letting  bridge  contracts,  the  bidders  dictated  practically  all 
features  connected  with  the  structure,  and  the  theory,  "the 
larger  the  bridge,  the  greater  the  profit,"  has  had  much  to 
do  with  the  more  than  adequate  waterways  usually  provided. 

The  general  policy  of  the  Illinois  Highway  Department  is 
to  provide,  in  the  design  of  the  new  bridges,  a  waterway  area 
large  enough  to  pass  the  entire  ordinary  flood  flow  of  the 
stream.  No  attempt,  however,  is  made  to  provide  for  the 
extraordinary  flood  which  is  not  expected  to  occur  more  fre- 
quently, than  once  in  forty  or  fifty  years.  The  magnitude 
and  frequency  of  such  extraordinary  floods,  however,  are 
still  largely  matters  of  opinion  or  judgment,  although  the 
Illinois  Rivers  and  Lakes  commission  is  undertaking  the 
collection  of  data  bearing  on  this  subject. 

The  construction  of  low  water  bridges  which  are  not  ex- 
pected to  pass  the  ordinary  flood  flow,  should  not  be  ap- 
proved for  well  developed  agricultural  territory,  without  due 
regard  to  the  character  of  the  farm  products,  the  future 
agricultural  development  of  the  territory,  and  the  present 
or  possible  future  use  of  the  road  for  more  than  local  traffic. 

Large  areas  of  Illinois  are  devoted  to  dairy  farming  a'nd 
truck  gardening  and  many  of  the  principal  roads  have  de- 
veloped into  well  defined  automobile  routes.  These  condi- 
tions make  it  imperative  that  the  highway  traffic  be  delayed 
by  high  water  or  other  cause  as  little  as  possible.  Except 
in  rare  cases,  therefore,  all  new  bridges  are  planned  to  carry 
the  entire  ordinary  flood  flow  through  the  opening. 

Under  the  direction  of  the  Illinois  Highway  Department, 
a  bridge  survey,  which  covers  about  one-half  of  the*area  of 
the  state  and  almost  exactly  one-half  of  the  road  mileage, 
has  been  made.  A  summary  of  this  survey  throws  some 
light  on  the  desirability  of  issuing  bonds  on  a  large  scale 
for  replacing  highway  bridges  with  more  permanent  struc- 
tures and  is  otherwise  of  general  interest. 

On  48,426  miles  of  road  were  found  97,963  drainage  struc- 
tures of  all  sizes.  The  total  length  of  all  these  structures, 
as  measured  along  the  axis  of  the  road,  is  770,000  feet  or 
about  145.9  miles.  The  average  number  of  bridges  per 
mile  is  2.12;  the  average  length  of  bridge  per  mile,  16.46  feet 
and  average  length  of  each  bridge  is  7.76  feet.  Of  the  total 
number,  1.8  per  cent,  are  more  than  60  feet  long;  21.8  per 
cent,  have  a  length  of  from  9  to  60  feet,  inclusive,  and  76.4 
per  cent,  are  8  feet  or  less  in  length.  (See  table  page  117.) 

Of  the  total  number  of  bridges  9.8  per  cent,  were  reported 
as  needing  repairs  and  8.7  per  cent,  as,  needing  replacement 
at  the  beginning  of  the  construction  season  of  1916.  As  the 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  117 

survey  covered  almost  exactly  one-half  of  the  area  and  road 
mileage  of  the  state,  the  total  number  of  bridges  in  the  state 
may  fairly  be  assumed  to  be  double  the  figures  previously 
stated.  The  percentages,  however,  should  not  vary  mate- 
rially. At  the  beginning  of  the  construction  season  then, 
the  are  in  Illinois  about  19,000  drainage  structures  need- 
ing repairs  and  16,000  needing  replacement. 

The  following  table  gives  the  percentage  of  each  class  of 
structure  found: 

Wood  structures   - 34.9% 

Corrugated  pipe 18.2% 

Vitrified  tile  pipe 13.0% 

Concrete,  reinforced  concrete  and  stone  masonry 10.1% 

Steel  superstructures  or  steel  tubes,  legs,  etc 8.8% 

Steel  superstructures  on  masonry  foundations 7.2% 

Plain  steel  pipe   3.8% 

Wood  superstructures  on  masonry  foundations 2.3% 

Cast  iron  pipe 1.7% 

The  average  cost  of  all  bridges  built  under  the  direction 
of  the  Illinois  Highway  Department  is  about  thirty-one  dol- 
lars and  fifty  cents  per  foot.  The  cost  of  the  average  bridge, 
which  is  7.76  feet  long,  would  then  be  about  two  hundred 
and  forty-four  dollars.  The  average  cost  of  temporary  re- 
pairs to  the  old  bridges  is  about  one-fourth  the  cost  of  a  new 
structure.  The  cost  of  repairs  to  the  19,000  bridges  would 
then  be  about  $1,000,000,  which  leaves  $3,000,000  available 
with  which  to  replace  worn-out  structures  with  modern 
bridges.  This  amount  would  build  about  12,000  average 
structures.  As  against  this  there  were  about  16,000  to  re- 
place 'at  the  beginning  of  the  season. 

It  seems  evident,  therefore,  that  if  modern  structures  are 
to  be  used  in  Illinois  for  all  replacements,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary for  the  next  few  years  to  provide  a  larger  fund  by 
issuing  township  or  county  bonds,  or  by  other  means.  If 
modern  structures  are  used  for  all  renewals,  however,  the 
wood  and  other  short-life  bridges  will  quite  rapidly  disappear, 
the  cost  of  repairs  will  decrease,  and  the  renewals  may  easily 
be  handled  out  of  the  ordinary  road  and  bridge  fund. 

With  our  present  favorable  bridge  law  and  considering  the 
progress  made  in  the  movement  for  the  construction  o»f  only 
the  most  permanent  bridges,  we  estimate  that  in  from  twelve 
to  fifteen  years  our  bridge  expenditures  in  Illinois  will  be 
reduced  about  one-half. 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  The  subject  is  now  open  for 
general  discussion.  We  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  any- 
one. 

D.  H.  WHITE  (Washington):  The  gentleman  spoke  of 
cresoted  wood  block  or  creosoted  lumber  for  the  floor 
of  bridges.  There  has  come  to  my  knowledge  in  the  last 
two  years  two  cases  of  failure  of  the  bridge  as  a  result  of  the 


lit  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

creosoted  wood  block  taking  fire.  In  our  county  the  prac- 
tice is  to  build  those  structures  with  concrete  floor,  either 
with  asphalt  top  or  natural  concrete  as  a  flooring. 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  Is  tfcere  any  further  discus- 
sion? 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  not  an  engineer, 
but  I  have  been  watching  them  for  over  a  half  a  century.  My 
faith  was-  first  shaken  in  the  judgment  of  engineers  over 
sixty  years  ago  when  I  saw  the  largest  suspension  bridge 
in  the  world  with  an  anchor  thirty  to  forty  feet  deep  at 
each  end  lifted  up  and  then  fall  down,  tearing  out  the  an- 
chors. The  engineer  had  not  provided  for  one  thing,  that  is 
for  holding  it  down,  instead  of  holding  it  up. 

There  is  another  element  of  danger  greater  than  floods 
or  storms  which  has  not  been  touched  upon.  This  refers 
to  the  unpretentious  short  wooden  bridge  as  well  as  to  the 
steel  bridges  and  the  heavier  and  longer  spans,  and  is 
brought  about  by  the  increased  requirements  of  bridges  at 
this  time.  This  will  apply  to  all  bridges,  long  and  short. 
The  old  requirement  of  a  bridge  built  ten  or  fifteen  years 
ago  was  lower  than  the  requirement  today.  The  engineer 
may  have  been  skillful  and  the  work  up  to  the  requirements 
and  a  very  high  factor  of  safety,  but  such  a  bridge  won't 
stand  the  strain  of  ten,  twelve  or  fifteen  tons  that  is  brought 
upon  it  by  an  auto  truck.  As  members  of  the  advisory 
committee  we  went  the  northern  and  southern  course  of 
the  state  and  called  the  attention  of  many  of  the  counties 
to  this  defect  in  their  bridges.  There  is  liable  to  be  an  ac- 
cident any  day  because  the  use  of  these  auto  trucks  has 
increased  wonderfully.  You  will  find  them  where  you 
wouldn't  expect  to  see  one  of  them.  The  farm  wagon 
doesn't  carry  a  load  to  exc.eed  a  ton  or  a  ton  and  a  half, 
or  maybe  two  tons,  but  the  trucks  carry  much  heavier  loads 
and  we  may  expect  trouble  from  this  very  source.  I  think 
warning  should  be  given  to  all  supervisors  and  officers  who 
have  charge  of  the  supervision  of  bridges.  You  can't  pre- 
vent the  coming  of  the  auto  truck,  but  you  can  prevent 
catastrophe  by  strengthening  the  old  and  putting  in  new 
bridges.  (Applause.) 

MR.  ROY:  I  never  undertake  to  make  a  speech,  but 
there  is  quite  a  difference  between  making  a  speech  and 
saying  something.  This  bridge  question  has  been  a  live 
one  with  me  for  a  good  many  years.  Ten  years  ago,  and  a 
little  earlier  than  that,  I  had  the  honor  of  being  the  presi- 
dent of  the  board  of  public  works  of  my  town,  Spokane, 
Washington,  which  is  a  city  with  a  rapid  stream  running 
directly  through  the  center  of  it  and  every  street  running 
north  and  south  through  the  city  had  a  bridge  problem. 
We  had  some  steel  bridges  and  a  great  many  bridges  that 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  119 

we  called  combination  bridges,  steel  and  wood.  Some  of 
them  began  to  get  old;  not  very  old,  because  it  was  a  young 
city,  but  a  good  many  of  those  large  bridges  were  ten  years 
old,  and  from  an  engineering  point  of  view  we  began  to 
realize  that  there  was  an  unknown  quantity  in  each  of  those 
bridges.  In  the  first  place  they  were  designed  lighter  than 
they  should  have  been  for  the  traffic  of  today. 

One  Sunday  morning,  about  six  o'clock,  my  telephone 
began  to  ring.  It  disturbed  me,  and  finally  I  got  a  little 
out  of  patience  and  decided  I  would  get  up  and  see  what 
was  wanted.  One  of  our  principal  bridges  within  four  hun- 
dred feet  of  the  city  hall  had  collapsed  just  as  a  street  car 
passed  over  it.  Just  as  the  street  car  got  off,  the  bridge 
fell  into  the  Spokane  river.  Now,  that  bridge  had  been 
very  carefully  inspected  just  two  weeks  before  that  and  we 
all  thought  that  we  had  a  fairly  safe  bridge  at  that  point. 
Well,  I  went  immediately  to  the  bridge  and  began  an  in- 
vestigation to  see  the  cause.  Of  course,  immediately  after 
that,  being  right  in  the  center  of  the  city,  pressure  was 
brought  to  bear  for  the  re-building  of  that  structure,  and 
I  immediately  went  to  work  and  built  a  temporary  trestle 
across  that  river  and  asked  the  city  council  for  an  appropria- 
tion for  a  new  bridge.  Of  course,  the  question  was,  what 
kind  of  a  bridge  we  should  have.  We  had  our  steel  in- 
.  terests  to  come  there,  the  cement  men  and  their  interests, 
but  I  insisted  that  when  we  built  that  bridge  we  should 
build  a  permanent  structure  that  would  take  care  of  the 
traffic  for  all  time  and  that  we  should  build  it  out  of  con- 
crete so  that  there  would  be  no  question  as  to  the  dura- 
bility. After  investigation  and  getting  the  experience  of 
everybody  we  were  confident  that  that  was  the  material  we 
should  build  our  bridges  out  of  to  make  them  permanent. 

Leading  up  to  that  I  want  to  tell  you  that  every  time 
there  was  some  unusual  demand  for  carrying  a  load  across 
any  one  of  these  bridges  they  had  to  come  to  the  city  hall 
and  I  had  to  issue  a  permit  to  let  this  load  be  transported 
across  the  bridge.  That  practically  made  me  personally 
responsible  when  an  unusual  strain  was  put  on  one  of  these 
bridges.  That  was  one  of  the  first  points  that  woke  me 
up  to  the  fact  that  this  traffic  of  ours  is  continually  in- 
creasing and  that  the  bridge  over  which  this  traffic  is  placed 
should  be  of  such  strength  as  not  to  limit  the  traffic  on 
the  highway.  This  meant  in  the  city  of  Spokane  a  fight 
for  an  appropriation  sufficient  to  build  a  concrete  bridge. 
Now,  another  thing  that  was  important  which  developed 
during  that  investigation  was  that  when  we.  came  to  select 
the  material  for  a  bridge  we  found  that  a  bridge  that  would 
carry  unlimited  traffic  could  be  constructed  at  that  time  of 
concrete  as  cheap  as  of  any  other  material  in  the  world. 


120  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

The  vibration  and  everything  of  that  kind  was  absolutely 
eliminated.  When  a  man  went  across  our  bridge  with  a  load 
it  didn't  make  any  difference  what  the  load  was,  he  could 
go  with  just  as  much  confidence  as  he  could  go  over  any 
other  part  of  the  road.  That  is  what  I  insisted  we  should 
have  in  the  city  of  Spokane. 

It  was  a  two  years'  fight.  It  took  me  two  years.  I 
started  practically  single-handed  and  wound  up  by  securing 
an  appropriation  from  the  city  council  to  build  this  bridge 
of  concrete,  and  from  that  time  until  the  present  day  there 
has  never  been  a  bridge  built  in  the  city  of  Spokane  of 
any  other  material.  Those  structures,  I  am  satisfied,  unless 
there  is  some  unusual  and  unforeseen  condition,  will  be  as 
good  a  hundred  years  from  now  as  the  day  they  were  built. 
I  believe  that  in  taking  care  of  this  bridge  proposition  that 
has  been  so  ably  presented  here  we  ought  to  look  to  the 
fact  that  we  do  not  restrict  the  increase  of  traffic  on  these 
roads.  We  are  fortunate  in  our  highway  department  in 
having  a  governor  that  insists  on  permanent  structures  and 
the  highway  commissions  and  engineers  have  the  hearty 
co-operation  and  assistance  of  our  highway  board,  which  is 
composed  of  the  Governor,  the  Treasurer,  the  State  Auditor, 
and  the  Highway  Commissioner.  When  it  comes  to  the 
question  of  putting  in  permanent  bridges  on  our  highways, 
unless  there  is  some  condition  of  finance,  something  that 
is  impossible  to  handle,  or  some  condition  of  transportation 
in  getting  the  material  on  the  ground,  we  are  building  con- 
crete structures.  We  hope  to  increase  as  time  goes  on  the 
proportion  of  these  permanent  structures  in  our  highways. 
(Applause.) 

MR.  KENNEDY:  While  on  the  subject  of  bridges  it 
would  be  a  good  point  to  bring  out  that  plank  guard  rails 
and  fences  for  approaches  to  bridges  should  be  built,  be- 
cause in  some  parts  of  the  country  county  engineers  are 
apt  to  disregard  the  fact  that  they  deal  with  human  nature, 
and  human  nature  covers  our  whole  subject.  Some  are 
careless  in  driving  on  the  approach  of  a  bridge  and  a  safe- 
guard of  that  character  should  be  put  on  small  culverts 
and  short-span  bridges.  It  would  be  a  good  point  to  make 
a  rule  in  all  work  of  that  character. 

MR.  WILLIAMS:  Mr.  Chairman,  Mr.  Roy  has  brought 
up  a  question  there  that  I  don't  like  to  see  go  by  without 
a  little  thought  being  spent  on  it.  That  is  the  concrete 
bridge.  Mr.  Roy  speaks  of  a  concrete  bridge  as  being  a 
permanent  structure.  I  wish  to  say  that  it  is  when  it  is 
properly  designed  and  properly  superintended  in  construc- 
tion; but  if  improperly  designed  and  faulty  in  the  superin- 
tendence of  the  construction,  both  in  the  mixing  of  materials 
and  in  the  manner  of  mixing  and  placing  it,  it  is  far  from 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  121 

a  permanent  structure.  We  have  had  some  concrete  bridges 
in  West  Virginia  to  fall  down;  in  fact,  there  is  one  now 
that  is  being  repaired  where  a  certain  contractor  failed  to 
put  in  the  proper  foundation.  When  he  removed  the  sup- 
ports from  beneath  the  bridge,  one  of  the  piers  settled 
four  inches,  another  two  inches,  and  the  result  was  that  each 
span  of  the  wall  had  to  be  removed,  and  the  contractor  has 
to  go  underneath  those  piers  and  build  up  a  new  foundation 
at  a  cost  practically  equal  to  what  he  was  to  get  for  the 
bridge. 

MR.  NICHOLS:  I  wish  that  the  officials  in  reporting  on 
the  cost  of  bridge*  construction  would  segregate  their  costs 
a  little  more  for  the  benefit  of  pther  people  concerned  in 
the  building  of  bridges.  We  find  in  Arizona  it  is  very  hard 
to  meet  some  of  these  costs  that  are  being  reported  from 
ether  states.  It  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  a  mighty  useful 
thing  if  everybody  reporting  would  separate  his  cost  prices 
a  little  more,  give  us  the  superstructure,  the  piers,  the  exca- 
vation into  dry  and  wet  and  a  few  other  little  things  like 
that. 

CHAIRMAN  TILLSON:  Is  there  any  further  discussion? 
If  not,  before  the  meeting  adjourns,  I  would  say  that  I  have 
been  requested  to  announce  that  the  members  of  the  Amer- 
ican Association  of  State  Highway  Officials  are  requested 
to  remain  for  a  few  minutes  at  the  close  of  this  session, 
1  am  making  the  announcement  at  the  request  of  Dr.  Joseph 
Hyde  Pratt.  If  there  is  nothing  further  to  come  before  this 
session  the  meeting  will  stand  adjourned  until  two  o'clock 
p.  m. 

An  adjournment  was  then  taken  until  two  o'clock  p.  m. 


THIRD   SESSION  2:00  P.  M. 

JAMES  H.  MAC  DONALD:  As  we  open  this  after- 
noon's session,  for  the  comfort  of  the  gentleman  who 
is  going  to  preside,  I  must  relate  a  little  anecdote.  The 
celebrated  painter,  Stewart,  was  requested  by  an  intimate 
personal  friend  of  his  to  kindly  let  him  know  how  it  was 
that  he  had  such  a  splendid  perspective  and  that  he  made 
all  his  figures  stand  out  life-like.  Stewart  replied,  "I  can't 
tell  you  that,  my  friend,  because  that  is  the  way  that  I 
make  my  living.  That  is  my  secret."  He  said,  "Well,  I 
won't  tell  anybody."  He  said,  "Oh,  yes,  you  will.  You 
will  tell  your  wife."  He  said,  "Well,  that  will  only  be 
three."  "Oh,  no,"  said  Mr.  Stewart,  "let  me  figure  it  for 
you.  You  will  know  it,  and  I  will  know  it,  and  your  wife 
will  know  it."  "Yes,  that  is  three."  "No,"  said  Mr.  Stewart, 
"that  is  one  hundred  and  eleven."  According  to  that  mathe- 
matical calculation,  my  friend,  Captain  Coggeshall  is  to  ad- 
dress an  audience  of  nearly  three  thousand  this  afternoon. 


122  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

(Laughter.)  I  take  great  pleasure  in  introducing  Captain 
Coggeshall,  who  is  the  President  of  the  Tri-State  Good 
Roads  Association.  (Applause.) 

(Captain  Walter  Coggeshall  then  took  the  Chair.) 
CHAIRMAN  COGGESHALL:  Gentlemen  of  the  Con- 
vention: The  local  association,  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads 
Association,  representing  California,  Washington  and  Ore- 
gon, I  can  assure  you,  feels  greatly  honored  in  being  asked 
to  have  a  representative  preside  over  your  meeting  this  af- 
ternoon; but  as  presiding  officer  at  the  beginning  of  the 
meeting  I  may  be  somewhat  like  the  Swede  who  recently  got 
converted  to  religion  out  in  Minnesota.  He  had  been  con- 
verted but  a  short  time  when  he  was  asked  to  preside  at  a 
meeting.  The  meeting  got  under  good  headway  and  by  and 
by  his  procedure  was  such  that  some  of  the  brothers  in  the 
back  of  the  room  became  disgusted  and  asked  him  if  he 
would  sit  down.  At  that  time  he  was  addressing  the  meet- 
ing. He  stopped  and  he  said:  "I  tank  I  want  to  tell  all 
the  members  in  the  meeting  that  while  they  know  a  leetle 
more  about  religion  than  I  know,  I  tank  I  love  my  Saviour 
better  than  any  son-of-a-gun  in  the  house."  (Laughter.) 
I  have  been  at  the  meetings  that  have  been  held  thus  far 
and  I  have  noticed  the  gentlemen  who  preside  are  technical 
men,  men  who  are  thoroughly  conversant  with  good  roads 
and  road  building.  While  I  wish  to  state  that  I  haven't 
that  technical  knowledge  I  would  assure  you  that  I  feel 
T  am  as  enthusiastic  over  the  subject  of  good  roads  as  any 
man  at  the  congress  this  afternoon. 

Gentlemen,  we  will  begin  the  afternoon  session.  On  the 
program  there  is  a  paper  entitled,  "Highway  Indebtedness: 
Its  Limitation  and  Regulation,"  by  Mr.  Nelson  P.  Lewis, 
Chief  Engineer,  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment,  New 
York  City.  That  paper  is  here  on  the  table  before  me,  but 
it  seems  expedient  that  perhaps  we  should  pass  on  and  lay 
the  paper  aside  for  the  present.  If  it  is  not  read  later  in 
the  meeting  you  will  have  the  pleasure  of  reading  it  in  the 
published  minutes  later  on.  (The  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  A. 
A.  Willoughby  of  California.) 


Highway  Indebtedness:     Its  Limitation  and  Regulation 

By  NELSON  P.  LEWIS 
Chief  Engineer,  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Debt  may  properly  be  incurred  by  individuals  or  corpora- 
tions when  there  is  need  for  something  of  such  value  that  its 
acquisition  is  justified  even  though  the  cash  to  pay  for  it  is 
not  at  hand.  The  justification  must,  however,  be  predicated 
upon  benefit  which  will  be  permanent,  or  which  will  at  least 
extend  over  a  period  of  years,  and  also  upon  the  ownership 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  123 

of  unencumbered  property,  or  sources  of  income  which  may 
be  depended  upon  to  provide  the  interest  on  the  debt  and  its 
liquidation  at  maturity.  In  the  case  of  individuals  their  earn- 
ing capacity  may  be  relied  upon  to  provide  the  funds  to  care 
for  such  debt;  in  the  case  of  business,  public  service,  or  indus- 
trial corporations,  increase  of  business  or  output  made  pos- 
sible by  enlarged  facilities  may  be  expected  to  provide  such 
means;  in  the  case  of  state  or  municipal  corporations  the 
power  to  levy  taxes,  either  direct  or  indirect,  is  their  only 
recourse.  Some  undertakings  of  the  last  named  corporations, 
such  as  the  development  of  a  water  supply  system,  will  pro- 
vide an  income  which  will  care  for  the  debt.  Others  which 
have  as  their  purpose  the  protection  of  public  health,  educa- 
tion, or  recreation,  will  produce  no  direct  revenue,  and  the 
debt  incurred  must  be  provided  for  by  taxation. 

Highway  improvements,  whether  in  rural  or  urban  dis- 
tricts, whether  under  the  control  of  state,  county  or  town,  will 
produce  no  direct  revenue.  Some  of  them  are  almost  entirely 
of  general  benefit,  others  will  involve  considerable  local  bene- 
fit, and  still  others,  especially  in  large  urban  districts,  will  be 
of  almost  exclusively  local  benefit.  In  rural  districts  the 
mileage  of  roads  is  great  in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
abutting  owners,  and  the  cost  of  their  improvement  is  very 
large  in  comparison  with  the  value  of  the  property  served  by 
them.  Where  land  is  productive  and  intensively  cultivated 
and  where  markets  or  transportation  lines  to  markets  are 
accessible,  the  cost  of  road  improvement  will  be  compensated 
for  by  the  lessened  expense  of  hauling  due  to  the  possibility 
of  greater  loads  and  better  speed.  Where  land  is  unpro- 
ductive, population  sparse,  and  traffic  light,  the  expense  of 
better  roads  is  beyond  the  means  of  the  district.  In  either 
case  traffic  is  principally  local  and  the  township,  county  or 
state  was  not  formerly  disposed  to  bear  the  cost  of  better- 
ments which  did  not  promise  to  be  of  advantage  to  the  entire 
political  unit.  The  advent  of  the  motor  vehicle  has  changed 
these  conditions.  Urban  population  has  spread  into  the  rural 
districts,  improved  methods  of  agriculture  with  better  re- 
turns, both  in  quantity  and  prices,  have  placed  the  motor  car 
within  the  reach  of  the  rural  population,  and  demands  for 
general  highway  improvement  have  become  insistent  and  irre- 
sistible. The  first  response  to  this  demand  was  through  state 
aid,  the  cost  of  road  improvement  being  divided  between  the 
state,  the  county  and  the  township,  and  in  some  cases,  the 
abutting  land  owners.  The  tendency  has  been  to  consider 
such  improvements  more  and  more  as  of  general  benefit  and 
less  and  less  a  local  obligation  until  the  state  itself  now  as- 
sumes the  larger  part  of  the  burden.  Whether  this  work 
should  be  undertaken  and  paid  for  by  the  state  without  local 
contribution  is  at  least  a  debatable  question. 


124  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

In  towns  a  few  blocks  of  a  single  street  can  be  improved 
at  a  time  and  the  benefit  to  the  property  is  immediate.  In 
developing  a  county  or  state  system  of  improved  highways 
such  slowly  progressive  improvement  will  not  answer  the 
purpose.  The  value  of  the  system  is  directly  dependent  upon 
its  completeness  and  the  time  within  which  the  entire  system 
can  be  provided.  This  means  a  large  expenditure  within  a 
period  too  brief  to  permit  it  to  be  raised  by  general  taxation 
and  resort  must  be  had  to  a  loan  and  that  means  a  highway 
debt.  This  seems  a  very  easy  way  to  secure  so  desirable  an 
end,  but  the  great  danger  is  that  the  issue  of  bonds  will  not 
be  governed  by  the  conservative  policies  which  are  usually 
followed  by  individuals  or  business  corporations  which  real- 
ize the  seriousness  of  such  obligations. 

The  use  of  bonds  by  a  state,  county  or  town  is  justifiable 
only  when,  and  to  the  extent  to  which,  the  benefit  will  be 
general.  To  impose  upon  the  public  at  large  a  burden  of 
taxation  for  a  term  of  years  when  the  benefit  will  be  chiefly 
local  is  obviously  unjust,  but  conceding  that  a  complete  sys- 
tem of  improved  highways  is  of  general  benefit  to  the  county 
or  state,  and  the  local  benefit  is  so  small  as  to  make  a  direct 
assessment  impracticable,  there  still  remains  the  question  as 
to  how  the  necessary  funds  shall  be  raised.  It  is  assumed 
that  a  loan  will  be  resorted  to  and  bonds  will  be  issued.  The 
question  is,  shall  they  be  for  long  terms,  or  short  terms,  cor- 
responding with  the  estimated  life  of  the  improvement,  or 
serial  bonds.  There  has  been  a  disposition  to  issue  bonds  for 
long  periods,  frequently  for  fifty  years.  For  such  part  of  the 
work  as  is  really  permanent,  such  as  the  widening  or  straight- 
ening of  old  roads,  or  the  improvement  of  their  grades,  this 
may  be  proper,  but  for  that  part  of  the  work  which  will  be 
short  lived,  such  as  the  wearing  surface  of  the  roads,  a  long 
loan  cannot  be  justified. 

With  interest  at  four  per  cent  the  total  interest  payments  on 
50-year  bonds  will  be  twice  the  actual  cost  of  the  work.  The 
annual  amortization  charges  for  50  years  on  a  three  per  cent 
basis  would  be  0.89  per  cent,  so  that  for  every  $1,000  of  orig- 
inal cost  the  state  or  the  city  would  pay  $2,445,  but  the  road- 
way surface  will  have  worn  out  long  before  the  expiration  of 
the  50-year  period,  yet  the  public  at  large  will  keep  on  paying. 
If  this  apparently  easy  way  of  meeting  the  cost  of  highway 
improvement  is  once  begun  it  is  likely  to  be  continued,  and 
even  to  be  applied  to  meeting  the  cost  of  replacing  worn-out 
surfaces.  There  are  many  cases  where  pavements  on  country 
roads  and  city  streets  will  not  last  more  than  ten  years,  and 
if  this  policy  of  financing  is  continued  the  public  will,  after 
forty  years,  be  paying  for  five  different  road  surfaces,  of 
which  four  will  have  entirely  disappeared,  and  the  annual 
expense  during  the  decade  from  forty  to  fifty  years  after  the 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  125 

original  improvement  was  made  will  be  24.25  per  cent  of  its 
original  cost.  These  estimates  relate  only  to  the  wearing 
surface  itself  arid  not  to  the  more  permanent  portion  of  the 
work  which  will  have  a  life  much  greater  than  ten  years. 

Short  term  bonds  when  issued  for  highway  improvement 
may  be  generally  considered  as  those  whose  term  will  approx- 
imately correspond  with  the  life  of  the  improvement,  so  that 
the  road  will  not  be  worn  out  before  it  is  completely  paid  for. 
Some  portions  of  the  work  will  last  longer  than  others,  and 
bonds  which  will  correspond  in  their  terms  with  the  average 
life  of  the  improvement  may  properly  be  considered  short 
term  bonds.  In  the  case  of  a  highway  improvement  which  is 
to  be  entirely  paid  for  by  bond  issue,  if  20  per  cent  of  the  cost 
is  represented  by  such  expense  as  widening,  grading,  and  sub- 
stantial culverts,  that  portion  may  be  considered  permanent 
and  50  years  would  not  be  an  unreasonable  time  in  which  to 
pay  for  it;  if  20  per  cent,  is  for  curbing  and  for  gutter  paving, 
which  might  be  expected  to  last  for  20  years,  bonds  issued  for 
a  corresponding  term  for  this  part  of  the  work  would  be  fair 
and  reasonable;  if  the  road  surface  represented  the  remaining 
60  per  cent,  of  the  cost  and  the  surface  would  require  replacing 
in  ten  years,  it  would  be  unwise  to  borrow  the  money  to  pay 
for  that  part  of  the  work  for  a  longer  period.  The  average 
life  of  the  entire  improvement  might  in  such  a  case  be  con- 
sidered 20  years,  and  it  might  therefore  be  considered  proper 
to  issue  20-year  bonds  to  pay  for  it.  There  is  a  fallacy,  how- 
ever, in  this  argument,  as  the  interest  and  amortization 
charges  will  be  constant  for  the  entire  20-year  period,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  part  of  the  work  representing 
60  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  will  have  been  worn  out  in  half 
that  time,  although  there  will  still  remain  a  portion  represent- 
ing 20  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  which  will  last  for  at  least  30 
years  after  it  is  entirely  paid  for.  A  more  conservative  plan 
would  therefore  be  to  limit  the  bonds  for  an  improvement  of 
the  kind  described  to  15  years.  As  the  terms  of  the  bonds  are 
shortened  the  total  annual  expense  grows  impressively  larger, 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  there  is  less  overlapping  of 
the  different  issues,  and  after  this  policy  of  paying  for  high- 
way improvements  by  bond  issues  has  been  followed  for  a 
period  corresponding  with  the  term  of  the  bonds  the  total 
amount  to  be  provided  to  care  for  the  outstanding  debt  will 
be  considerably  less  in  the  case  of  the  short  term  bonds.  For 
instance,  if  a  constant  sum  of  $1,000,000  a  year  were  borrowed 
for  highway  improvements  and  if  50-year  bonds  were  issued 
for  the  purpose,  at  the  end  of  50  years  there  would  be 
$50,000,000  of  these  bonds  outstanding.  During  this  time  the 
annual  interest  and  amortization  charge  would  gradually  in- 
crease until  it  reached  $2,445,000,  when  it  would  remain  con- 
stant. If,  however,  the  funds  were  raised  by  the  issue  of 


126  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

10-year  bonds  there  would  be  $10,000,000  outstanding  at  the 
end  of  ten  years,  during  which  time  the  annual  interest  and 
sinking  fund  charges  would  increase  until  at  the  tenth  year 
they  would  reach  $1,322,000,  when  they  would  remain  con- 
stant. Under  the  latter  policy  there  would  at  the  end  of  fifty 
years  be  an  annual  saving  to  the  taxpayers  of  $1,123,000.  It 
may  be  said  that  these  periods  are  so  long  that  such  a  dis- 
cussion is  academic,  but  street  and  road  improvements  are 
going  to  continue  for  an  indefinite  time;  our  states  and  cities 
hope  to  remain  solvent  and  must  meet  their  financial  obliga- 
tions and  debts,  of  this  kind  must  be  paid  in  full,  so  that  the 
actual  facts  should  be  squarely  faced. 

To  distribute  the  cost  of  street  or  road  improvements 
over  a  term  of  years,  and  at  the  same  time  to  avoid  the 
necessity  of  accumulating  large  sinking  funds  which  return 
a  small  rate  of  interest,  resort  is  frequently  had  to  serial 
bonds.  In  this  case  provision  must  be  made  for  retiring 
a  certain  part  of  the  issue  each  year  and  for  interest  on  the 
bonds  which  remain  outstanding.  If  $1,000,000  of  four  per 
cent,  bonds  are  issued  in  serial  form,  $50,000  falling  due  eacli 
year,  the  provision  which  must  be  made  to  care  for  the  bonds 
to  be  retired  and  the  interest  on  those  outstanding  will  be 
as  follows: 

1st  year $90,000 

6th    "       80,000 

15th    "       62,000 

20th    "       :..  52,000 

One  advantage  of  this  plan  is  that  as  part  of  the  work  is 
worn  out  and  the  value  of  the  improvement  becomes  less 
there  is  a  corresponding  reduction  in  the  annual  burden.  It 
is  important,  however,  that  the  series  shall  be  so  arranged 
that  the  amount  outstanding  at  any  time  shall  not  exceed 
the  actual  value  of  the  original  improvement  at  that  time. 
When  serial  bonds  are  issued  in  such  a  manner  that  the  last 
bond  will  not  be  retired  for  a  long  term  of  years  or  a  term 
far  in  excess  of  the  probable  life  of  a  large  portion  of  the 
work  the  plan  is  uneconomic  and  pernicious.  A  striking  ex- 
ample of  the  abuse  of  the  serial  bond  is  afforded  by  the  case 
of  two  towns  now  a  part  of  New  York  City,  which,  in  1868, 
secured  legislative  authority  to  improve  a  highway  passing 
through  both  of  the  towns  and  to  issue  serial  bonds.  As 
these  bonds  were  actually  issued  the  last  bond  of  one  of  the 
towns  will  fall  due  in  1980,  and  the  last  bond  of  the  other 
town  will  not  mature  until  the  year  2147. 

It  might  be  feared  that  serial  bonds  would  not  command 
as  good  a  price  as  would  those  running  for  a  longer  term, 
but  at  a  recent  offering  of  a  large  number  of  New  York  City 
bonds  the  bids  received  for  serial  bonds,  then  offered  for  the 
first  time  by  that  city,  actually  exceeded  the  price  offered 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  127 

fer  50-year  bonds,  both  bearing  the  same  rate  of  interest. 
It  is  possible  that  present  financial  conditions  render  a  more 
liquid  asset  desirable,  but  the  fact  that  the  prices  bid  for 
serial  bonds  were  better  than  those  for  long  term  bonds  was 
a  surprise. 

The  space  alloted  to  this  paper  does  not  permit  further 
discussion  of  this  important  subject.  Unless  state  and 
municipal  authorities  show  a  disposition  to  limit  the  terms 
of  their  obligations  more  nearly  to  the  life  of  improvements 
for  which  they  are  to  pay,  it  will  probably  be  necessary  to 
adopt  a  plan  somewhat' similar  to  that  followed  in  Great 
Britain,  where  no  obligations  may  be  issued  by  any  state, 
town  or  county  authorities  until  there  shall  have  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  Local  Government  Board  a  precise  statement 
showing  the  character  of  the  improvement,  its  probable  life 
and  its  estimated  cost,  when  this  board  will  determine  the 
amount  of  the  bonds  which  may  be  issued  and  the  terms  for 
which  they  may  run,  the  purpose  being  to  ensure  the  ex- 
tinguishment of  the  debt  within  a  period  which  is  less  than 
the  life  of  the  improvement. 

CHAIRMAN  COGGESHALL:  The  discussion  of  this 
paper  is  supposed  to  be  opened  by  Mr.  B.  A.  Towne,  of 
Lodi,  California,  but  I  think  Mr.  Westerlund  is  the  gen- 
tleman who  is  going  to  open  the  discussion  on  this  sub- 
ject. 

MR.  WESTERLUND:  In  explanation  I  desire  to  say 
that  the  paper  I  have  was  written  by  Mr.  W.  I.  Vawter,  of 
Medford,  Oregon.  He  could  not  be  present.  He  is  our 
state  representative  and  is  a  very  able  man,  a  man  who 
thoroughly  understands  the  legal  part  of  road  building.  I 
regret  very  much  he  could  not  be  present,  but  I  told  him  I 
would  read  his  paper  for  him. 


Discussion  by  W.   I.  Vawter,  Medford,  Ore. 
(Read  by  Mr.  Westerlund) 

That  the  amount  of  indebtedness  incurred  in  the  construc- 
tion of  highways,  whether  city,  county  or  state,  should  be 
limited  and  controlled  must  be  admitted  by  all. 

Bonded  indebtedness  for  highway  construction  by  state 
and  county  is  legislation  of  comparatively  recent  date.  There 
is  no  fixed  or  certain  rule  or  regulation  that  can  be  invoked 
as  definite  and  standard.  What  is  the  proper  measure  as 
to  the  limitation  of  indebtedness  cannot  be  defined  from 
experience  of  the  past.  That  the  amount  of  expenditure 
should  be  controlled  and  regulated  is  evidenced  by  the  ex- 
penditure of  towns  where  the  street  paving  indebtedness  has 
proven  onerous  and  burdensome. 


128  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

Perhaps  the  tendency  to  extreme  conservatism  cannot  be 
better  illustrated  than  by  reference  to  my  own  state. 

Oregon  was  admitted  to  the  Union  in  1859.  The  constitu- 
tion adopted  by  the  people  at  that  time  was  especially  strin- 
gent in  its  limitations  on  indebtedness,  Section  7  of  Article 
II  providing  that  "The  legislative  assembly  shall  not  loan 
the  credit  of  the  state,  nor  in  any  manner  create  any  debt  or 
liabilities  which  shall  singly  or  in  the  aggregate  with  pre- 
vious debts  or  liabilities  exceed  the  sum  of  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  except  in  case  of  war,  or  to  repel  invasion  or  sup- 
press insurrection;  and  every  contract  of  indebtedness  en- 
tered into  or  assumed  by  or  on  behalf  of  the  state,  when 
all  its  liabilities  and  debts  amount  to  said  sum,  shall  be 
void  and  of  no  effect"  And  Section  10  of  the  same  Article 
provides:  "No  county  shall  create  any  debts  or  liabilities 
which  shall  singly  or  in  the  aggregate  exceed  the  sum  of 
five  thousand  dollars,  except  to  suppress  insurrection  or  to 
repel  invasion."  And  these  provisions  of  the  constitution 
placing  a  limitation  upon  indebtedness  remained  unchanged 
until  1910,  when  among  the  exceptions  there  was  added  the 
right  to  build  permanent  road,  which  provision  was  there- 
after modified  in  1912  amending  this  provision  of  the  con- 
stitution so  as  to  read,  "No  county  shall  create  any  debts  or 
liabilities  which  shall  singly  or  in  the  aggregate  with  previous 
debts  or  liabilities  exceed  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars, 
except  to  suppress  insurrection  or  repel  invasion  or  to  build 
and  maintain  permanent  roads  within  the  county,  and  debts 
for  permanent  roads  shall  be  incurred  only  on  approval  of  a 
majority  of  those  voting  on  the  question,  and  shall  not  either 
singly  or  in  the  aggregate  with  previous  debts  and  liabilities 
incurred  for  that  purpose  exceed  two  per  cent,  of  the  as- 
sessed valuation  of  all  the  property  in  the  county." 

The  organic  lawmakers  of  that  day  were  not  alone  satis- 
fied with  these  restrictions  upon  county  indebtedness,  but 
they  especially  prohibited  the  state  from  passing  any  law, 
special  or  local,  for  laying,  opening,  and  working  of  high- 
ways, with  the  result  that  for  more  than  fifty  years  prac- 
tically every  effort  on  the  part  of  the  state  to  aid  in  high- 
way construction  was  held  by  the  courts  to  be  unconstitu- 
tional. 

There  was  a  reason  for  this  particular  solicitude  on  the 
part  of  the  early  legislators  against  allowing  the  state  to 
engage  in  general  road  construction.  The  provisional  gov- 
ernment was  the  first  effort  of  organized  government  in 
Oregon,  which  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  the  territorial  gov- 
ernment. Numerous  acts  were  passed  by  these  preliminary 
governments  establishing  highways.  On  December  12,  1846, 
an  act  was  passed  by  the  provisional  government  providing 
for  the  laying  out  of  a  road  from  the  town  of  Portland  to 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  129 

the  mouth  of  Mary's  River  in  Polk  County.  Another  was 
authorizing  a  territorial  road  to  be  established  from  Oregon 
City  to  the  Calipooya.  So  many  of  these  special  acts  were 
passed  establishing  these  several  territorial  roads  that  the 
debts  incurred  thereby  became  burdensome.  The  territory 
was  sparsely  settled;  improvements  were  few;  agriculture 
and  stock  were  the  main  resources;  markets  were  not  good, 
with  the  result  that  the  income  for  expenses  in  governing 
the  new  colony  was  especially  limited,  and  it  was  deemed 
but  wisdom  on  the  part  of  those  framing  the  constitution 
that  a  strict  limitation  or  regulation  should  be  placed  upon 
the  right  of  state  and  county  to  engage  in  general  or  special 
or  local  road  building.  Neither  was  the  need  felt  by  the 
people  of  this  state  for  any  change  until  long  afterwards. 

The  period  from  1870  to  1900  was  a  period  of  railway  con- 
struction. But  scant  thought  was  given  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  highways  and  this  change  in  sentiment  did  not 
commence  to  ripen  until  the  advent  of  the  automobile.  Even 
as  late  as  1909  the  legislative  assembly  passed  an  act  pro- 
viding for  the  construction  of  a  state  road  from  a  point  on 
the  Pacific  Ocean  to  the  Idaho  boundary  by  way  of  Crater 
Lake,  the  first  section  of  the  road  to  be  constructed  from 
Jackson  County,  at  Medford,  to  the  city  of  Klamath  Falls. 
The  act  carried  an  appropriation  of  $100,000;  $50,000  for 
use  first  in  the  counties  of  Jackson  and  Klamath,  condi- 
tioned upon  those  two  counties  each  appropriating  a  like 
amount.  This  road,  the  first  leg  of  which  was  to  be  built  in 
Jackson  and  Klamath  counties,  past  one  of  the  scenic  won- 
ders of  the  world,  under  the  control  of  the  United  States 
government,  was  adopted  by  the  Legislature  with  the  tacit 
understanding  that  the  government  would  expend  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  dollars  in  the  development  of  a  road  sys- 
tem within  the  National  Park;  but  notwithstanding,  the 
courts  held  it  to  be  a  local  road  of  local  character,  the  court 
saying: 

The  local  character  of  the  act  is  further  indicated  by  the 
provision  that  as  soon  as  Jackson  County  has  made  its  ap- 
propriation of  $50,000  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  road 
from  Medford,  Jackson  County,  to  a  point  on  the  west  line 
of  the  Cascade  Forest  Reserve,  on  the  route  to  Crater  Lake, 
the  Governor  shall  appoint  a  commission  and  thereupon 
twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  sum  appropriated  shall  become 
available  for  use  in  Jackson  County  and  $12,500  each  year 
for  three  years  thereafter,  and  upon  Klamath  County  mak- 
ing a  like  appropriation,  the  same  amounts  became  available 
in  like  manner.  Each  county  stands  alone.  If  Jackson 
County  appropriates  $50,000  and  Klamath  does  not,  Jackson 
County,  at  the  end  of  three  years,  has  a  county  road,  the 
beginning  and  terminus  of  which  is  selected  by  the  State, 
and  practically  designated  by  the  act  itself.  And  there  the 
road  ends,  as  it  begins,  entirely  within  the  confines  of  one 
county  and  is  a  county  road.  If  Klamath  County  accepts 


130  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

the  State's  offer,  we  have  two  county  roads,  one  in  each 
county,  entirely  beyond  the  supervision  of  the  State.  We 
think  that  the  constitutional  provision  invoked  in  this  case 
was  padded  to  prevent  the  invasion  of  the  State  of  the 
regular  method  of  laying  out,  opening,  working  and  super- 
vising highways  provided  by  general  laws;  and  that  this  act 
violates  the  constitution  in  these  particulars;  First,  that  it 
requires  the  proposed  county  highways  to  begin  at  a  partic- 
ular point;  second,  that  it  appoints  a  commission  to  super- 
vise not  only  the  expenditure  of  the  sum  appropriated  by  the 
state,  but  that  appropriated  by  the  counties  interested,  and 
to  have  entire  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  road,  which 
is  expressly  declared  in  the  act  itself  to  be  a  county  road. 

It  was  not  until  the  year  1913  that  the  state  awakened 
sufficiently  from  its  lethargy  to  adopt  an  act  creating  a  high- 
way commission,  composed  of  the  Governor,  Secretary  of 
State  and  State  Treasurer,  and  appointing  a  state  highway 
engineer  to  have  charge  of  highway  construction.  The  act 
in  question  provided  that  the  state,  when  providing  for  state 
revenues,  should  levy  upon  the  taxable  property  in  each  and 
every  county  equal  to  a  quarter  mill  of  each  dollar  of  as- 
sessable property  within  each  county. 

I  may  add  that  this  taxation  raised  for  state  highway  con- 
struction a  sum  not  quite  equal  to  $350,000  annually.  While 
California  has  expended  upon  its  highways  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  millions  of  dollars,  and  Washington  has  expended  be- 
tween ten  and  fifteen  million  dollars,  the  state  of  Oregon 
has  expended  from  state  funds  less  than  the  sum  of  one 
million  dollars. 

That  there  is  a  genuine  public  sentiment  for  road  building 
may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  some  four  counties  in 
the  State,  under  the  act  of  1912,  have  taken  advantage  of 
the  authorization  to  create  debt  for  road  building,  with 
the  result  that  Multnomah  County  has  authorized  a  bond 
issue  of  a  million  and  a  quarter  dollars,  which  is  being  used 
for  the  building  of  the  scenic  highway  up  the  Columbia  River. 
Jackson  County,  in  the  extreme  south,  in  1911  authorized  a 
bonded  intebtedness  of  $500,000,  the  proceeds  therefrom  to 
be  used  for  the  construction  of  a  highway  from  the  Cali- 
fornia line  north  to  the  south  boundary  line  of  the  county 
adjoining  on  the  north,  and  Hood  River  and  Clatsop  counties 
have  likewise,  by  a  vote  of  the  people,  adopted  lesser  bond 
issues  which  are  being  used  for  state  highway  construction. 

There  is  being  advocated,  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  time 
until  it  is  adopted,  a  bond  issue  by  the  state  of  ten  million 
dollars,  the  proceeds  therefrom  to  be  used  at  the  rate  of 
two  million  dollars  a  year,  in  the  construction  of  a  perma- 
nent highway  north  and  south  and  east  and  west.  This 
proposition  will  be  placed  before  the  people  for  ratification 
at  a  general  election.  It  is  a  question  whether  at  the  next 
general  election  a  sentiment  sufficiently  in  favor  thereof  will 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  131 

have  been  created  by  educational  process,  or  whether  the 
spirit  of  '59  as  evidenced  by  the  state  in  its  constitution  is 
still  paramount. 

As  to  limitation,  towns  and  cities  in  some  instances  have 
incurred  indebtedness  for  street  and  highway  improvements 
from  twenty  to  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  assessed  valua- 
tion of  the  town  or  city.  This  has  proven  in  many  instances 
burdensome  and  I  believe  for  a  town  assessed  at  five  million 
dollars  to  undertake  to  foist  upon  the  inhabitants  thereof 
and  the  owners  of  property  an  indebtedness  of  one  million 
dollars  for  street  paving  is  excessive,  and  the  limitation  upon 
the  right  of  a  city  or  town  to  so  encumber  itself  with  debt 
should  be  enacted  either  by  the  legislature  or  by  constitu- 
tional act. 

What  has  been  said  of  the  city  is  true  of  the  county  and 
state.  The  two  per  cent,  mentioned  above  is  wholly  insuffi- 
cient to  properly  build  and  operate  a  system  of  state  high- 
ways unless  the  counties  receive  large  sums  from  the  state 
by  way  of  aid.  The  amount  which  a  county  should  be  per- 
mitted lawfully  to  incur  for  highway  improvement  should 
not  exceed  from  five  to  eight  per  cent,  of  the  assessed  val- 
uation of  the  property  within  the  confines  of  the  county. 

As  to  regulation,  it  is  a  fact  that  the  life  of  a  highway, 
under  any  known  system  of  construction  at  this  time,  is 
comparatively  short. 

The  maintenance  of  the  state  highway  should  be  under 
the  absolute  control  of  the  state.  It  should  be  cared  for 
and  maintained  at  the  state's  expense,  under  its  highway 
department,  and  the  act  or  acts  and  law  or  laws  providing; 
for  highway  expenditures  should  strictly  and  stringently 
provide  a  sinking  fund  for  the  liquidation  of  such  indebted- 
ness. A  period  of  twenty  years  is  a  sufficient  length  of 
time  for  any  bond  issue  to  run, .and  there  should  be  a  sink- 
ing fund  provided  during  each  and  every  year  by  which 
county  indebtedness  for  highway  construction  should  be  fully- 
paid. 

Discussion   by   J.  F.   Witt,  Dallas,  Tex. 

Indebtedness  incurred  for  the  purpose  of  highway  con- 
struction is  generally  conceded  to  be  an  act  of  progress 
without  sufficient  thought  being  given  to  the  value  received! 
on  such  indebtedness,  or  the  returns  to  be  expected  from 
the  investment  made  possible  by  the  borrowed  capital. 

Long  term  bonds  are  made  popular  from  the  reason  of  a 
smaller  annual  sinking  fund.  Short  term  bonds  and  serial 
bonds  are,  however,  often  preferred,  but  the  difference  in 
what  kind  of  bond  is  voted  is  slight  compared  to  other  ad- 
justments that  should  be  made  before  the  money  is  bor- 


132  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

rowed.  The  principal  fault  is  not  whether"  the  bonds  are  20 
year  serials  or  40  years  straight,  but  lies  more  in  the  lack  of 
provision  for  a  fixed  amount  for  maintenance  and  repair  of 
the  highways  constructed;  thus  insuring  an  improvement 
that  will  last  with  the  debt.  The  only  way  to  make  the  im- 
provement permanent  is  a  definite  and  adequate  method  of 
maintenance. 

Considering  a  wearing  surface  in  keeping  with  traffic  re- 
quirements the  nominal  sum  available  for  maintenance  and 
repair  "without  special  provision  has  been  made  for  the 
same"  is  inadequate  with  the  result  that  the  wearing  surface 
is  worn  out  long  before  the  invested  obligation  is  discharged. 

We  may  feel  that  the  evolution  in  traffic  in  the  past  ten 
years  will  probably  be  repeated  in  the  next  ten  years,  and 
in  that  way  make  it  impossible  to  pre-determine  what  fixed 
charge  to  make  for  maintenance  and  repair.  In  a  manner 
this  is  true,  but  in  trying  to  work  out  a  method  that  would 
bring  about  the  result  suggested,  we  will  not  have  to  go  far 
to  improve  on  present  conditions.  Some  restrictions  should 
be  passed  by  every  state,  that  would  control  the  issuance  of 
bonds  for  highway  improvement  and  that  would  make  it  as 
necessary  for  governing  boards  to  fix  a  permanent  and  ade- 
quate fund  for  maintenance  and  repair,  as  it  is  to  have  an 
estimate  on  which  to  rely  for  the  amount  of  funds  required 
for  construction  purposes. 

The  limitations  of  borrowed  money  for  highway  purposes 
should  be  governed  by  some  fixed  standard  of  construction; 
that  standard  to  be  determined  by  the  amount  and  kind  of 
traffic  the  highway  will  have  to  carry.  The  necessary  num- 
ber of  miles  and  the  layout  for  the  same  also  enter  largely 
into  the  question,  for  aside  from  cross-state  roads  that  enter 
into  most  highway  systems,  all  intermediate  roads  should 
be  laid  out  after  a  thorough  study  of  traffic  zones,  so  that 
when  the  system  is  completed  it  will  accommodate  a  larger 
part  of  local  traffic,  and  not  less  than  probably  70  per  cent, 
of  the  tonnage  of  the  district  that  pays  the  interest  and  sink- 
ing fund  made  necessary  for  the  construction  of  the  system, 
thus  insuring  compensation  on  the  investment.  When  state 
aid  is  furnished,  .the  above  plan  would  probably  be  modified, 
but  it  appears  to  be  about  the  best  method  of  controlling  the 
expenditure  for  counties  or  special  districts. 

In  the  matter  of  levying  a  special  tax  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  care  of  indebtedness  created  for  highway  improve- 
ment in  rural  districts,  the  prevailing  plan  of  making  'the 
4evy  general  over  the  district  benefitted  appears  to  be  un- 
just. The  method  employed  in  some  cities  of  having  the 
abutting  property  owners  pay  for  a  large  part  of  the  pave- 
ment cost,  appears  to  be  an  equitable  adjustment  that  should 
apply  to  rural  districts  as  well  as  to  the  city — not  to  as  great 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  133 

an  extent,  for  the  special  benefit  derived  would  not  be  so 
great,  but  charge  the  abutting  land  with  the  greatest  per- 
centage and  graduate  the  percentage  down  for  a  distance 
from  the  highway  that  would  be  governed  by  the  layout  of 
the  system,  until  the  minimum  was  reached,  which  would  be 
the  basis  for  the  general  levy  applied. 

All  abutting  property  receives  a  greater  and  more  direct 
benefit  from  the  improvement  than  does  property  located  off 
the  road.  It  is  therefore  unjust  to  make  the  charge  equal. 
This  method  of  paying  for  the  improvement  would  also  have 
a  tendency  to  reduce  the  present  manner  of  distributing  to 
certain  localities  a  preference  brought  about  largely  through 
political  influence,  by  placing  all  property  benefitted  either 
directly  or  indirectly  on  an  equal  footing,  as  all  property 
would  then  receive  a  benefit  in  the  ratio  of  what  it  paid 
toward  the  improvement. 


CHAIRMAN  COGGESHALL:  This  subject  is  now  open 
for  further  discussion. 

MR.  WHITNEY:  I  don't  want  to  make  a  speech,  but 
we  have  with  us  today  a  gentleman  from  California  who  has 
been  interested  in  roads  for  many  years  and  I  know  that 
he  is  well  qualified  to  discuss  this  question.  He  is  young 
and  timid,  and  consequently  he  will  never  get  up  on  his 
feet  unless  you  ask  him  to,  Mr.  Chairman.  And  now  I 
would  ask  you  to  please  call  on  Mr.  Eddy  to  discuss  this 
question.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  COGGESHALL:  I  can  sympathize  with 
Mr.  Eddy  if  he  is  young  and  'timid,  but  we  shall  be  glad  to 
hear  from  him. 

MR.  EDDY:  Mr.  President,  I  think  I  am  timid,  all 
right,  but  I  will  get  down  here  where  they  can  all  see 
that  I  am  still  young.  I  do  not  wish  to  deceive  you  or  any 
of  the  hearers  here  in  thinking  that  I  am  an  engineer.  I 
am  not  an  engineer,  and  it  is  no  reflection  on  the  engineers 
at  all  that  I  am  not  one;  nor  am  I  a  road  builder,  and  that  is 
no  reflection  on  the  contractors;  nor  am  I  a  capitalist,  but 
that  is  some  reflection  on  the  dear  people  and  myself.  My 
concern  in  road  building  in  the  state  of  California  has  been 
principally  in  providing  one  of  the  elements  that  is  necessary 
iu  order  to  secure  good  roads.  One  element,  of  course,  is  a 
competent  engineer.  The  second  is  a  road  builder  of 
pj'actical  experience;  and  the  third  is  the  money.  My  ex- 
perience has  been  in  trying  to  induce  communities  and  coun- 
ties to  raise  the  money,  and  for  that  I  have  had  experience 
in  ten  of  the  counties  of  California. 

If  you  will  suffer  me  to  explain  I  will  say  that  in  the  state 
of  California  we  have  a  number  of  state  laws  affecting 
public  highways,  and  here  we  designate  expressly  between 
country  highways  and  city  streets.  All  the  highways  of 


134  PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD  CONGRESS 

which  we  speak  in  this  state  end  at  the  corporation  limits. 
Therefore  anything  that  I  say  affects  only  country  highways 
extending  from  city  to  city,  or  corporation  to  corporation.  I 
\vill  say  that  I  have  had  experience  in  California  extending 
from  Los  Angeles  to  Reading  and  from  the  summit  of  the 
Alpines  to  the  Ocean,  to  San  Mateo  county.  I  know  that  at 
least  ten  counties  are  now  working  on  road  indebtedness 
effected  by  good  road  bonds  authorized  by  the  state.  In 
my  various  experiences  in  the  several  counties  I  never  saw 
a  single  dollar  honestly  expended  for  permanent  improve- 
ments, which  were  properly  and  continuously  maintained, 
that  did  not  yield  one  hundred  per  cent,  within  five  years. 
(Applause.)  I  never  saw  a  single  dollar  expended  for  tem- 
porary patching  up  of  old  roads  that  was  not  a  tax  and  a 
sheer  loss.  Now,  that  is  a  difference  between  a  tax  for 
roads  and  an  investment  for  roads,  and  in  every  county 
cf  California — as  I  can  prove  by  gentlemen  who  are  in  this 
hall  at  present — where  they  have  adopted  good  roads  and 
built  them  and  maintained  them,  they  have  increased  their 
valuation,  increased  their  effectiveness,  increased  in  every 
civic  virtue  more  than  double  the  amount  of  the  bonds. 

In  some  counties  in  this  new  commonwealth  of  California 
where  they  have  constructed  roads  of  an  extensive  nature — 
and  they  accommodate  large  areas — I  think  that  the  profits 
have  yielded  four  or  five  times  the  amount  of  the  bonds; 
and  if  they  had  gone  into  the  market  with  their  public 
revenues  and  sold  them  out  before  the  roads  were  completed 
they  might  have  cashed  in  the  whole  indebtedness  and  done 
it  at  a  profit.  That  is  something  that  we  can  take  from  the 
railroads.  For  instance,  in  the  San  Joaquin  county,  where 
I  chiefly  operate,  at  least  the  second  county  in  the  state,  they 
have  three  railroads  traversing  the  county  which  have 
invested  from  ten  million  dollars  up,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
that  they  borrowed  every  cent  of  the  ten  million  dollars, 
and  possibly  to  a  larger  extent  .than  their  stock  valuation, 
to  build  the  roads  and  to  get  the  traffic  of  that  county,  every 
pound  of  which  must  first  transverse  the  public  road.  The 
county  went  through  and  built  two  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
miles  of  road  by  bonding  itself  for  one  million  eight  hun- 
dred and  ninety  thousand  dollars,  for  which  they  sold  over 
two  million  dollars'  worth  of  bonds,  and  increased  their 
valuation  more  than  twenty  million  dollars  during  the  course 
of  construction.  Not  only  that,  but  they  doubled  their  post- 
office  receipts.  They  doubled  their  bank  clearings.  They 
doubled  everything  and  every  measure,  and  so  has  every 
county  in  the  state  that  has  followed  out  the  state  Savage 
law,  which  permits  the  county  to  bond  itself,  including  the 
cities,  for  the  improvement  of  roads  from  one  city  to  an- 
other in  the  same  county  or  to  the  roads  of  an  adjoining 
county. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  135 

This  is  only  one  phase  of  the  question.  In  every  county 
I  have  been  in,  numbering  ten,  I  have  found  that  there  is  a 
superfluity  of  road  engineers.  Now,  if  we  want  to  build 
a  railroad  we  do  not  find  in  that  county  more  than  two 
or  three  men  that  pretend  that  they  are  capable  of  laying 
out  a  railroad.  They  don't  aspire  to  the  job,  but  if  you  want 
to  build  a  wagon  road  you  will  find  five  thousand  men  that 
know  just  how  to  do  it,  and  yet  a  highway  engineer  is  of 
much  higher  grade  than  a  railroad  engineer  or  any  other 
engineer  that  exists,  not  only  because  he  has  to  look  out 
for  the  grade  and  the  curves  and  the  soil  and  the  climate, 
but  a  dozen  other  things  that  he  must  adapt  himself  to, 
including  the  local  conditions.  In  fact,  I  think  I  esteem 
a  highway  engineer  as  the  very  top  of  the  profession  of  en- 
gineering, and  that  is  one  thing  that  you  have  to  educate 
the  people  up  to,  that  they  don't  know  how  to  build  a 
modern  road.  You  have  got  to  trust  to  somebody,  and 
you  might  as  well  trust  it  to  an  engineer  who  is  paid  for 
the  work. 

Now,  in  this  state,  the  ordinary  law  leaves  the  construc- 
tion of  the  main  county  highways  in  the  board  of  super- 
visors. The  boards  of  supervisors  are  elected  under  a  state 
law,  which  permits  them  only  a  half  a  salary.  They  have 
other  things  to  look  after,  and  not  one  of  them  is  paid  to 
become  an  expert  in  road  building  or  anything  else;  but 
the  Savage  Act  creates  a  commission  for  that  express  pur- 
pose. That  commission  is  authorized  to  employ  an  engineer 
and  in  most  of  the  cases  in  this  county,  and  several  other 
counties  that  I  know  of,  they  employ  engineers  who  are 
graduates  of  the  road  bureau  of  the  United  States  govern- 
ment at  Washington,  and  they  get  the  full  worth  of  their 
money.  Of  course,  these  engineers  who  had  experience 
there,  get  valuable  experience  here.  •  But  in  my  judgment 
every  dollar  raised  in  this  state  by  county  indebtedness  or 
by  state  indebtedness  or  by  gift  or  by  taxation,  and  I  will 
say  that  there  are  only  two  counties  in  this  state,  the  county 
of  Los  Angeles  and  the  county  of  Alameda,  in  which  we 
are  now,  that  can  afford  to  do  it  by  direct  taxation;  but  all 
the  other  counties,  if  they  improve  their  highways,  must  do 
it  by  a  bond  issue  and  indebtedness.  Every  single  dollar  ex- 
pended has  been  expended  at  a  profit,  and  every  single  dollar 
that  has  been  distributed  on  the  public  highways  for  patch- 
ing up  old  roa'ds  is  a  sheer  waste,  a  tax,  and  I  don't  blame 
the  people  for  voting  against  it.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  COGGESHALL:  Are  there  any  further 
remarks  on  the  subject? 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  I  am  interested  in  this  subject  because 
it  is  one  to  which  I  have  given  a  great  deal  of  attention  and 
one  which  I  think  I  understand  pretty  well  in  relation  to 


136  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

our  state,  the  state  of  Oregon.  In  the  first  place,  the  fal- 
lacy of  the  argument  that  has  been  made  against  bond  issues 
is,  that  they  have  been  treated  as  an  expense.  You  have 
given  the  debit  side  only  of  the  ledger.  Now  take  the 
credit  side.  Has  there  been  any  benefit? 

If  you  were  going  to  build  a  railroad,  if  you  wanted  a 
million  dollars  or  five  million  dollars  to  build  a  railroad 
you  would  first  figure  if  after  that  railroad  had  been  built 
what  freight  will  it  receive;  what  benefit  will  it  be?  If  you 
borrowed  the  money  it  would  be  because  you  thought  it 
would  be  an  investment.  So  it  is  with  the  roads.  It  was 
shown  here  that  they  were  paying  three  times  as  much 
interest  as  the  principal  amounted  to,  but  it  was  not  shown 
v/hat  benefit  was  received.  If,  you  haven't  been  getting 
revenue  from  that  road  that  will  pay  the  expense  and  in- 
debtedness and  give  you  a  profit  of  at  least  ten  per  cent 
you  should  not  have  built  the  road.  I  think  it  can  be  demon- 
strated any  place  in  the  state  of  Oregon  or  in  California 
that  I  know  of  where  they  need  a  road,  or  are  likely  to 
issue  bonds  for  a  road,  that  they  would  receive  at  least 
ten  per  cent  on  their  investment. 

In  our  state  our  valuation  now  is  about  a  billion  dollars, 
and  we  can  issue  twenty-five  year  bonds  and  amortize  them 
so  that  at  the  end  of  twenty-five  years  each  series  of  bonds 
will  be  paid  in  full,  interest  and  all,  each  year  paying  its 
share  of  the  cost  of  the  improvement  and  the  interest  on 
it  and  being  liquid  at  the  end  of  the  time.  Taking  the 
increase  in  valuation  at  one-third  of  what  it  has  been  in 
the  last  thirty  years  at  no  time  will  it  reach  half  a  mill 
and  that  is  fifty  cents  on  a  thousand  dollars.  At  the  end 
of  the  time  the  bonds  are  all  paid  off.  We  need  those  roads 
now.  It  is  just  like  anything  else,  if  you  don't  have  the 
money  you  should  borrow  it.  Credit  is  the  cornerstone  of 
the  business  world. 

Take  your  own  city.  How  many  of  these  skyscrapers  or 
enterprises  of  any  great  extent  could  exist  without  credit. 
Credit  is  the  bottom  of  all.  Mills,  railroads,  canals;  the 
Panama  canal  itself  could  not  have  been  built  without  the 
government  issuing  three  hundred  millions  of  bonds,  or 
about  that  amount.  Each  block  of  bonds  forms  the  basis 
of  our  national  bank  circulation.  The  question  when  you 
make  an  investment  is,  what  do  you  pay  for  it  and  what 
are  you  getting  in  return  for  it?  Now,  I  can"  demonstrate, 
if  a  man  is  reasonable,  that  there  is  not  a  road  that  has 
been  built  in  the  state  of  Oregon  or  the  state  of  California 
that  does  not  pay  a  revenue.  It  is  true  the  revenue  is 
not  paid  into  the  treasury  and  disbursed  again,  but  it  is  a 
more  equal  distribution  of  the  revenue  that  you  get  from 
the  road  than  if  the  state  had  that  money  in  the  bank.  The 
state  has  no  capital.  Its  capital  is  in  the  pockets  of  its 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  137 

people  and  the  only  way  that  you  could  build  is  to  use 
that  credit  of  the  state.  You  take  bonds  issued  by  private  cor- 
porations and  they  are  secured  by  a  mortgage  upon  all  their 
property,  and  yet  when  you  go  into  market  as  against  public 
bonds  the  public  bonds  bring  the  biggest  price.  They  are 
not  secured.  You  couldn't  sell  out  a  county,  you  couldn't 
issue  an  execution  against  the  county  and  sell  any  of  its 
property,  yet  there  is  something  behind  that  that  makes 
a  bond  worth  more  than  anything  else.  It  is  patriotism, 
and  it  exists  because  the  people  of  this  country  won't 
repudiate  an  honest  obligation  that  has  been  incurred  legally. 

Now,  the  issue  of  these  bonds  is  the  only  manner  in 
which  we  can  have  those  roads  now,  as  I  said  before.  Put 
it  upon  the  same  basis  as  the  railroad  and  sit  down  and 
figure  your  traffic  as  near  as  you  can  and  you  will  find  that 
it  pays  three  times  the  amount  that  it  costs  in  tax  and 
in  revenue.  I  wish  I  could  have  a  franchise  for  a  road  from 
the  California  line  on  the  south  to  British  Columbia.  I  will 
give  a  reasonable  rate  for  the  privilege  of  putting  a  toll  in 
and  there  wouldn't  be  any  difficulty  about  that  paying  out. 

Something  has  been  said  about  the  roads  wearing  out 
under  the  traffic.  If  the  traffic  is  sufficient  to  wear  the  road 
out  in  ten  years  it  will  pay  you  to  put  on  a  new  surface. 
There  is  a  prejudice  against  going  in  debt.  There  is  a 
prejudice  against  bonds  because  bonds  have  been  issued 
without  any  arrangements  being  made  for  their  payment 
at  all.  There  are  many  instances  where  very  injudicious 
indebtedness  has  been  incurred,  but  we  couldn't  do  without 
indebtedness;  we  couldn't  do  without  the  issue  of  bonds 
because  we  couldn't  get  what  we  want.  Then  we  com- 
plain about  indebtedness  and  about  paying  interest  on  the 
bonds — paying  taxes  to  build  roads. 

If  you  live  in  a  civilized  country  and  amount  to  any- 
thing you  have  got  to  have  good  roads.  That  is  the  only 
way  to  get  good  public  roads.  There  are  millions  of  peo- 
ple in  the  world  that  don't  pay  any  taxes.  They  have 
no  credit  and  won't  trust  one  another.  This  country  was 
full  of  them  before  the  white  men  came  in.  They  didn't 
pay  any  taxes.  The  roads  were  good,  but  they  were  only 
about  two  feet  wide.  They  were  on  better  lines  than  some 
modern  roads,  for  their  line  was  the  line  of  least  resistance; 
but  these  people  had  no  homes,  they  wore  no  clothes,  never 
ate  bread  and  slept  out-doors.  (Applause.) 

MR.  MEATH:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  come  from  the  most 
rorthwestern  state,  where  we  build  roads  without  a  bond 
issue  and  think  that  we  are  getting  along  pretty  fast  at 
that.  In  our  state  the  constitution  is  something  similar  to 
the  constitution  of  the  state  of  Oregon,  inasmuch  as  if 
we  were  in  debt,  or  owe  four  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
we  cannot  issue  bonds  without  a  vote  of  the  people.  There- 


138  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

fore  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  a  constitutional  amend- 
ment. The  way  we  build  roads  in  Washington  is  that  we 
have  four  classes,  the  public  highway,  the  permanent  high- 
way— this  is  under  the  state  and  under  the  counties — the 
road  district  and  the  road  and  bridge  district.  In  the  public 
highway  fund  we  levy  a  mill  tax  which  brings  in  a  million 
dollars  a  year;  the  permanent  highway  fund,  a  mill  and  a 
half,  which  brings  in  another  million  and  a  half.  This  per- 
manent highway  is  built  by  the  counties,  but  under  state 
supervision.  In  Washington  the  highway  board  is  com- 
posed of  the  governor — and,  by  the  way,  our  governor  is  an 
old  contractor  and  enthusiastic  road  man — the  state  auditor, 
the  state  treasurer,  one  member  of  the  public  service  com- 
mission, and  the  highway  commissioner.  I  want  to  just 
read  you  a  few  statistics  of  how  we  have  gotten  along. 

I  desire  to  state,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  some  of  the  counties 
in  bur  state  have  bonded  in  various  amounts  from  a  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  up,  I  think  the  highest  amount  being 
four  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  King  county.  This  does 
rot  include  cities  or  towns.  We  have  in  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington, up  to  January  first,  thirty-seven  thousand  miles  of 
roads  composed  as  follows:  Unimproved  earth  roads,  twen- 
ty-four thousand  and  fifty  miles;  improved  earth  roads, 
eighty-five  hundred  miles;  gravel  roads,  thirty-seven  hun- 
dred miles;  waterbound  macadam,  three  hundred  and  thirty- 
nine  miles;  paved  roads,  two  hundred  and  eleven  miles,  and 
corduroy  and  plank  roads,  two  hundred  miles.  For  a  period 
of  ten  years  up  to  April  first,  1915,  there  had  been  spent 
on  roads  $2,796,064  under  our  present  system;  and  on  the 
road  districts,  from  some  county  districts,  seven  mills  and 
from  some  ten.  These  are  the  feeders  and  they  raised 
on  the  road  districts  $2,923,498;  on  the  road  and  bridge  dis- 
tricts, $1,631,689.  The  permanent  highway  fund  raised  by 
the  counties,  however,  amounted  to  $1,547,849.  The  public 
highway  fund  amounts  to  $1,031,899,  or  a  total  available  for 
each  year  of  $7,134,935.  I  desire  to  state,  Mr.  Chairman,  that 
we  are  building  roads  and  are  building  them  fast.  We  have 
all  of  our  roads  paid  for  with  the  exception  of  these  few 
counties  that  have  bonded.  We  have  under  course  of  con- 
struction two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  in  the  public 
highway  fund  and  two  hundred  and  fifteen  in  the  permanent 
highway  fund.  Our  highway  board  is  against  the  bond 
proposition  inasmuch  as  we  believe  that  if  we  voted  twenty 
million  dollars'  worth  of  bonds  for  a  period  of  twenty  years 
that  the  interest  would  equal  the  principal.  We  spend  this 
seven  million  dollars  each  year,  and  we  are  getting  a  dollar's 
worth  of  work  for  every  dollar  we  spend  and  it  is  about 
all  we  can  handle  and  handle  right. 

MR.  REED:  Mr.  Chairman,  in  the  construction  of  per- 
manent pavements  we  haven't  yet  found  out  what  pavements 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  139 

are  permanent.  In  other  words  we  have  not  yet  discovered 
which  is  the  best  pavement.  We  are  yet  in  the  infancy 
ot  our  knowledge  on  the  pavement  question.  Therefore,  is 
it  advisable  for  us  to  go  into  a  bond  issue  for  the  laying 
down  of  pavements  which  perhaps  in  five,  perhaps  in  ten 
years,  will  not  be  adequate?  In  five  or  ten  years  we  will 
have  a  better  knowledge  and  can  spend  our  money  to  bet- 
ter advantage.  In  our  state  of  Washington  I  know  we  are 
developing  our  hard  surface  roads  faster  than  the  traffic 
will  pay  a  revenue  on.  There  is  no  question  about  that. 
If  we  have  a  bond  issue  it  is  true  that  if  we  do  put  down 
pavements  we  increase  the  valuation  of  our  land  sooner  than 
the  traffic  on  those  pavements  will  return  a  revenue  from 
in  the  amount  you  can  haul  in  addition  over  those  roads,  but 
we  don't  get  any  additional  taxes  on  that  property  by  reason 
of  putting  down  those  pavements. 

I  venture  to  say  that  in  all  the  states  of  the  Union  the 
situation  is  similar  to  ours  when  it  comes  to  tax-paying  time. 
Everybody  says,  "My  God,  look  at  the  taxes.  Let  us  cut 
them  down."  Now,  with  us,  we  realize  that  we  have  our 
hands  full  in  expending  the  money  we  have  to  expend  in 
pavements,  and  expending  that  money  so  that  we  get  a  dol- 
lar's return  on  the  money  expended.  If  we  had  twice  or 
three  times  that  amount  to  spend  we  would  spend  it  more 
recklessly,  we  would  invest  it  in  sections  that  wouldn't 
warrant  the  investment  and  we  wouldn't  get  as  good  results 
from  our  work.  I  am  decidedly  opposed  to  the  bond  issue. 

MR.  WILLIAMS:  In  answer  to  the  gentleman  who  has 
just  taken  his  seat,  and  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have 
not  had  experience  with  bond  issues,  I*  will  say  that  in 
West  Virginia  we  have  had  a  little  experience  with  that 
problem.  Four  years  ago  the  Parkersburg  district  of  Wood 
county  was  paying  fifteen  cents  on  each  hundred  dollars 
to  take  care  of  its  mud  roads  that  extended  out  from  the 
city  of  Parkersburg,  outside  of  corporate  limits,  to  the 
district  boundary  line.  Eight  months  out  of  the  twelve 
months  in  the  year  those  roads  were  practically  impassable. 
The  district  voted  bonds  enough  to  pave  those  roads  with 
brick  on  a  concrete  base.  The  roads  were  paved  and  since  • 
the  paving  of  the  roads  they  are  paying  off  the  interest, 
taking  care  of  the  sinking  fund  and  maintaining  the  roads 
with  a  levy  of  eight  cents.  If  that  is  not  a  good  invest- 
ment (applause) — 

MR.  REED:  Allow  me  to  interrupt.  There  are  conditions 
in  districts  where  the  natural  soil  makes  the  roads  impassable 
for  a  certain  part  of  the  year,  where  you  are  warranted  in 
doing  that,  but  that  does  not  commonly  prevail. 

MR.  WILLIAMS:  Mr.  Chairman,  it  depends  absolutely 
on  the  territory  you  are  in.  In  a  number  of  districts  in  our 
state  where  we  have  such  conditions  as  I  referred  to,  espe- 


140  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

daily  in  the  oil  districts,  bond  issues  have  made  it  pos- 
sible for  us  to  quadruple  the  traffic  upon  the  road  and  at 
the  same  time  maintain-  the  road  with  one-half  of  the  tax 
levy  that  we  used  before. 

There  is  a  question  that  has  not  been  brought  up,  that 
we  have  recently  ran  up  against  and  taken  care  of.  At 
our  last  session  of  the  legislature  we  passed  a  law  pro- 
viding that  before  any  community  should  issue  bonds  or  at- 
tempt to  issue  bonds,  it  must  have  the  service  of  a  competent 
engineer  to  make  a  careful  survey  and  take  into  considera- 
tion all  of  the  questions  pertaining  to  that  road  in  that  par- 
ticular district,  submit  that,  and  that  after  being  submitted 
to  the  county  court, — or  the  board  of  supervisors  in  some 
sections, — it  must  be  published;  and  then  upon  the  petition 
of  one  hundred  legal  voters  a  bond  issue  must  be  ordered 
by  the  court.  Then  it  requires  a  three-fifths  vote  to  pass 
the  bond  issue.  If  it  is  passed,  this  money  must  be  expended 
tinder  the  supervision  of  a  competent  engineer. 

MR.  KENYON:  Mr.  Lewis,  who  wrote  this  paper,  is  one 
o:  the  ablest  engineers,  not  only  in  the  United  States  but 
in  the  world.  He  has  given  more  time  and  attention  in 
a  big  way  to  the  subject  that  he  is  discussing  than  almost 
anyone,  and  we  can  hardly  pass  any  statement  in  that  great 
paper  without  being  careful  that  we  are  not  mistaken  if  we 
take  the  other  side  of  it.  There  is  one  thought  in  there 
that  I  merely  wanted  to  call  attention  to  without  discussing 
it  at  any  length,  and  that  was  this.  He  called  attention  to 
what  they  are  doing  in  England,  that  before  a  bond  issue 
can  be  made  they  must  have  all  the  data  presented  to  the 
road  board  and  'get  its  approval. 

You  know  very  well  that  now  in  most  of  our  states  in 
case  a  railway  wants  to  borrow  money  and  make  a  bond 
issue  for  extension  or  otherwise,  it  must  first  get  the  con- 
sent of  the  state  railway  commission.  That  is  along  the 
same  line  of  the  action  in  England  in  regard  to  the  is- 
suance of  road  bonds.  I  don't  know  whether  it  is  prac- 
ticable; whether  the  people  would  stand  for  that  idea.  Of 
course,  they  are  perfectly  willing  to  have  the  railroads  regu- 
lated about  the  amount  of  bond  issues  that  they  shall  have, 
but  it  is  a  question  whether  they  would  consent  to  have  a 
highway  commission,  for  example,  or  any  commission,  pass 
upon  whether  they  should  issue  any  bonds,  or  whether  it 
was  justifiable  to  issue  bonds  for  building  this  road  or  that 
road,  and  the  length  of  time  and  such  other  regulations  as 
would  seem  to  be  necessary  by  that  commission  before 
granting  permission  to  issue  bonds.  But  it  is  a  question 
that  is  well  worth  the  consideration  of  everyone  interested 
in  the  road  question.  The  suggestion  that  was  made  by 
the  gentleman  from  West  Virginia  that  they  must  have  an 
engineer  and  he  must  make  an  estimate  and  submit  it  to 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  141 

him  and  so.  forth,  is  something  along  that  line.  It  doesn't 
go  quite  as  far.  If  they  can  do  it  in  one  state,  and  if  it 
is  wise  and  valuable  with  the  railroads,  is  it  not  wise  and 
valuable  to  have  it  done  in  regard  to  our  state  highways? 

MR.  EDDY:  Mr.  Chairman,  may  I  offer  a  word  or  twa 
more  supplementary  to  what  I  said? 

CHAIRMAN  COGGESHALL:     Certainly. 

MR.  EDDY:  In  the  state  of  California,  under  the  Savage 
Act,  not  only  is  a  commission  appointed,  and  the  commis- 
sion must  prepare  a  report  and  show  the  roads  that  are 
to  be  improved  and  voted  in  a  county,  but  they  must  em- 
ploy a  competent  engineer  who  reports  on  these  roads  and 
two-thirds  of  the  people  must  pass  on  the  bond  issue  before 
it  is  issued.  And  the  exact  substance,  the  place  where  the 
roads  are  to  run,  must  all  be  designated  in  the  report  of  the 
commission.  That  is  preliminary  to  the  issue  of  bonds,, 
and  of  course  that  simply  supplements  the  state  issue.  It 
is  one  of  the  things  that  I  wanted  to  bring  up  because  Mr. 
Manthea  is  here  and  I  think  he  can  corroborate  it.  The 
maintenance  in  his  county,  where  the  best  system  of  im- 
provement in  the  United  States  is  built,  is  better  than  it  is 
in  the  republic  of  France,  or  the  kingdom  of  England,  or 
in  Italy,  because  he  is  equipped  with  every  modern  device, 
He  is  equipped  with  a  crew.  He  is  equipped  with  consid- 
erable funds.  He  was  here  this  forenoon  and  will  be  here 
again  tomorrow.  Now,  the  maintenance  in  that  county 
is  superior  to  any  part  of  Europe  that  I  know  of  and  it  is 
done  at  a  cost  that  is  not  greater  than  that  prevailing  in 
European  countries.  Now,  I  think  that  that  is  a  sufficient 
answer  to  many  of  the  questions  that  have  been  raised.  In 
England,  of  course,  they  improve  the  roads  continuously  by 
maintenance.  They  make  paths  along  the  roadways,  even 
in  the  best  roads. 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  Mr.  Chairman,  may  I  say  that  the 
roads  I  spoke  of  are  not  gravel  roads.  They  are  permanent 
roads.  No  money  raised  in  Oregon  is  expended  on  any  other 
roads  except  on  heavy  grades  in  the  mountains,  but  I  am  sur- 
prised at  the  confession  of  a  certain  gentleman  from  Wash- 
ington, that  the  good  roads  won't  pay  dividends.  I  don't 
know  of  any  other  part  of  the  United  States  where  they 
won't  pay,  but  I  noticed  from  the  report  that  they  have  got 
two  hundred  miles  of  road  and  seven  million  dollars  a  year 
tax.  It  goes  for  the  maintenance  of  roads  that  are  not  good: 
roads,  as  I  know  by  experience.  (Applause.) 

MR.  TERRACE:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  not  an  engineer. 
I  am  only  a  common  farmer  and  dairyman,  and  of  all  the 
branches  of  farming  there  is  nobody  that  uses  the  road 
more  than  the  dairyman,  because  he  uses  it  every  day,  rain 
or  shine.  Conditions  make  no  difference  to  him;  that  milk 
must  be  hauled  to  market  Therefore,  he  knows  the  benefits. 


142  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

of  good  roads.  But  I  raise  other  things  besides  milk.  I 
raise  cabbages.  I  raise  potatoes.  Now,  let  us  see.  I  think 
the  man  from  Washington  is  a  little  mistaken.  I  am  from 
Washington  also.  I  am  the  one  that  uses  the  roads  and 
1  am  the  one  that  knows  whether  it  is  paying  or  not.  I  am 
here  to  say  that  there  is  no  part  of  my  farm,  neither  my 
wagon,  my  mowing  machine,  nor  anything  in  connection 
with  my  farm  that  pays  a  bigger  dividend  to  me  than  the 
roads.  (Applause.) 

Now,  let  me  illustrate.  I  can  illustrate  it  to  you  in  a  very 
small  compass.  One  year  I  raised  seventy-five  tons  of  cab- 
bage. I  had  to  haul  that  cabbage  to  a  sauerkraut  factory 
in  South  Seattle.  As  you  know,  the  cabbage  crop  comes 
in  the  fall  of  the  year,  when  the  roads  are  bad,  and  we  had 
no  roads.  Twenty-five  hundred  pounds  was  the  best  I  could 
haul,  using  a  team  seventeen  hundred  pounds  in  weight,  and 
if  there  are  any  farmers  in  the  audience  they  will  know 
that  that  is  a  good  big  team.  Allowing  five  dollars  a  day 
for  me  and  my  team,  which  was  little  enough,  I  left  my  home 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  I  wobbled  back  home 
again  at  six  at  night,  a  tired  man  arid  a  tired  team.  Now, 
allowing  myself  five  dollars,  it  took  five  dollars  to  land  that 
twenty-five  hundred  pounds  of  cabbage  in  the  market. 

Now  what  do  I  do?  With  a  beautiful  road,  as  fine  as  any 
street  you  have  in  the  city  of  Seattle,  brick,  if  you  please, 
I  put  on  five  thousand  pounds  and  I  trot  along  that  road, 
leave  my  home  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  arrive 
back  there  at  four  in  the  evening  without  a  turned  hair  on 
my  team.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  drive  over  that  road.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

Now,  you  farmers,  take  your  pocketbooks  out  and  your 
pencils  and  you  figure  what  difference  it  makes  to  me  be- 
tween it  costing  me  five  dollars  to  land  that  twenty-five 
hundred  pounds  of  cabbage  in  market  and  landing  five  thou- 
sand pounds  for  the  same  price  with  a  seventy-ton  crop. 
Did  it  pay  me?  Was  it  good  interest  on  the  taxes  that  I 
have  to  pay?  Why  my  taxes  were  only  a  mere  bagatelle 
compared  with  it.  (Applause.)  Mr.  Chairman,  we  didn't  go 
into  this  thing  with  a  rush,  as  I  told  you  here  yesterday 
morning.  We  have  bonded  that  same  county  for  three 
million  dollars  and  we  are  spending  today  in  that  county 
nearly  five  million  dollars.  You  can  depend  on  it  we  knew 
just  what  we  were  doing.  It  is  the  best  investment  that 
any  man  can  make. 

MR.  REED:  Mr.  Chairman,  there  is  not  any  question 
but  that  a  man  can  always  haul  from  his  farm  over  a  good 
road  much  cheaper  than  he  can  over  a  poor  one.  When  a 
rr.ilroad  is  built  they  determine  what  is  the  aggregate  of 
traffic  to  pay  interest  on  the  investment.  It  is  not  what  it 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  143 

pays  the  farmer  to  ship  his  thousand  or  ten  thousand  bushels 
of  wheat,  but  whether  that  road  will  haul  a  million  or  ten 
million  bushels  of  wheat  and  pay  interest  on  the  investment. 
When  a  road  is  built  in  King  county,  costing  twenty-five, 
thirty,  thirty-five  or  forty  thousand  dollars  a  mile  the  ques- 
tion is  what  is  the  aggregate  traffic  over  that  mile  of  road? 
There  is  no  question  but  what  the  one  ton  or  ten  tons  can 
be  hauled  at  a  profit  to  that  man  that  has  that  hauling. 
The  question  is,  is  there  a  sufficient  number  of  tons  to  haul 
ever  that  road  to  pay  interest  on  so  large  a  sum  of  money 
to  build  that  road? 

For  example,  when  you  build  your  roads  it  will  pay  to  build 
your  main  arteries,  but  it  won't  pay  to  build  your  feeders  at 
the  same  price  per  mile  because  the  traffic  over  those  feeders 
will  not  warrant  the  investment.  That  is  a  fundamental  in 
highway  engineering.  Any  man  who  has  studied  the  problem, 
\vho  has  taken  a  course  in  the  engineering  department  knows 
that.  It  is  the  return  on  the  amount  invested  just  as  with 
any  manufacturing  plant. 

MR.  WILLIAMS:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  want  to  add  just  one 
word  with  reference  to  a  point  of  instruction  that  we  send 
out  from  our  highway  department.  The  engineer  that  con- 
siders the  highway  bonds  considers  the  probable  tonnage  that 
the  road  will  have  to  take  care  of,  and  likewise  provides  an 
estimated  cost  for  that  road  to  take  care  of  that  -tonnage. 
The  engineer  would  not  be  a  competent  engineer  that  would 
provide  the  same  class  of  construction  for  fifty  thousand  tons 
that  he  would  for  two  thousand  tons.  That  is  a  principle 
of  engineering  and  one  of  the  things  that  the  highway  en- 
gineer should  consider,  but  the  man  that  has  two  tousand 
tons  should  have  a  road  to  accommodate  that  two  thousand 
tons,  just  as  well  as  the  other  man  that  has  the  fifty  thousand 
tons. 

MR.  EDDY:  Have  you  considered  the  question  of  a  high- 
way census? 

MR.  WILLIAMS:  The  question  of  a  highway  census  is 
not  a  finally  determining  factor  because  the  improvement 
of  roads  sometimes  will  treble,  quadruple  and  sometimes 
make  the  traffic  even  ten  times  as  much  as  it  was  prior  to 
that  time. 

MR.  EDDY:  But  as  comparing  two  roads  radiating  from 
a  common  center.  Supposing  one  has  doubled  or  trebled  its 
traffic  and  the  other  has  not.  Doesn't  that  give  you  a  basis 
to  work  on? 

MR.  WILLIAMS:  Yes,  in  a  way,  and  no  in  a  way,  because 
the  greatest  determining  factor  that  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration when  you  are  going  to  improve  a  road,  is  the 
territory  back  and  along  that  road,  and  what  the  territory 


144  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

will  produce  in  the  way  of  tonnage.  Let  it  be  the  tonnage 
of  farm  products,  for  instance,  and  you  certainly  would  not 
consider  the  tonnage  coming  out  of  a  rough  country  with  no 
farm  land  along  the  road  the  same  as  you  would  where  you 
had  a  good  broad  valley  and  hundreds  of  acres  of  good  pro- 
ductive land. 

MR.  EDDY:  I  am  speaking  of  agricultural  land  entirely. 
Mr.  Chairman,  I  just  want  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact 
that  in  almost  every  county  in  California  that  is  bonded  for 
this  purpose,  a  road  census  has  been  taken  of  every  road  that 
is  proposed  for  improvement,  and  they  have  been  able  to 
submit  to  the  taxpayers  the  amount  of  traffic  on  every  road. 
That  is  one  thing  I  think  that  has  been  insisted  on  and  1 
know  it  is  insisted  on  by  the  road  maintenance  engineer  of 
San  Joaquin  county. 

MR.  MEATH:  Mr.  Chairman,  you  will  notice  that  we 
fellows  up  in  Washington  are  a  little  bit  divided,  but  we 
always  get  together  and  are  building  roads.  Now,  if  the ' 
gentleman  was  to  come  up  to  Washington  I  would  like  to 
show  him  some  of  the  best  roads  in  the  United  States  right 
in  the  state  of  Washington.  You  can  take  your  automobile, 
if  you  please,  at  Seattle  and  get  on  a  continuous  pavement 
to  the  city  of  Tacoma,  forty-two  miles,  passing  through 
one  of  the  most  fertile  valleys  of  the  United  States.  Then, 
from  Tacoma,  you  can  go  on  an  additional  fourteen  miles  of 
pavement  and  then  you  will  strike  high-class  earth  roads, 
and  in  five  hours  from  the  time  you  leave  Seattle  you  can  be 
up  at  Mount  Rainier,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  mountains  in 
the  world.  Now  we  have  good  roads  there.  We  scrap  a 
little  bit  about  this  bond  issue;  we  have  a  different  method; 
but  we  are  like  the  Baptist  or  Methodist,  we  are  all  headed 
for  the  same  place. 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  I  have  driven  over  those  roads  and 
I  have  wondered  how  the  gentleman  could  make  the  state- 
ment that  they  didn't  pay  revenue. 

MR.  WHITNEY:  There  is  one  phase  of  this  question 
we  have  not  considered.  You  have  principally  made  your 
argument  along  the  lines  of  saving  in  freight.  Now  there  is 
another  feature  that  is  very  important,  it  seems  to  me,  that 
follows  along  the  line  of  modern  road  construction,  and  that 
is  the  saving  in  the  wear  and  tear  and  the  upkeep  of  the 
motor  vehicles  as  well  as  your  horses  and  wagons.  In 
Sonoma  county,  north  of  the  bay,  where  I  live,  they  attempt- 
ed a  few  years  ago  to  carry  a  bond  issue  of  sixteen  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  During  our  investigation  we  took  into  con- 
sideration, as  they  did  over  in  San  Joaquin  county,  every 
feature  .that  would  follow  the  building  and  improvement  of 
those  good  roads.  One  of  those  features  was  the  saving  ID 
the  upkeep  of  the  automobile. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  145 

We  have  in  Sonoma  county  in  the  neighborhood  of  two 
million  dollars  invested  in  automobiles.  Our  engineer  made 
a  conservative  estimate  in  the  difference  of  cost  of  upkeep 
of  those  important  machines,  and  we  also  had  the  assistance 
cf  other  engineers  in  the  state.  One  gentleman  from  Pasa- 
dena, a  very  competent  man,  gave  an  estimate  that  the  dif- 
ference in  the  upkeep  of  automobiles  under  the  improved  sys- 
tems of  highways  in  Sonoma  county,  which  we  estimated 
would  carry  about  seventy  per  cent,  of  the  traffic  of  that 
county,  would  be  conservatively  two  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars a  year.  That  is  a  point  that  is  well  worthy  of  consid- 
eration. Now  we  gave  this  engineer  from  Pasadena  a  rough 
estimate  of  the  number  of  teams,  vehicles,  horses  and  wagons 
in  the  county,  and  he  gave  us  an  estimate  of  something  over 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  the  saving  on  those  vehicles 
and  horses.  Now,  our  bond  issue  was  for  one  million  six 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  bearing  five  per  cent.  You  can 
readily  figure  what  our  principal  and  interest  would  be  on 
an  average  during  a  term  of  twenty  or  thirty  years,  and  we 
figured  it  a  pretty  good  investment — three  hundred  thousand 
dollars  saved  on  that  class  of  transportation  alone.  (Ap- 
plause). 

MR.  COBB:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  think  that  we  should  all 
feel  proud  of  Washington  if  they  are  able  to  pay  for  the 
roads  as  they  go  along.  I  think  that  every  community  would 
be  glad  to  do  the  same  thing,  and  it  is  certainly  a  very  for- 
tunate community  that  can  build  roads  that  are  justified  by 
present-day  conditions  without  issuing  bonds.  I  would  like 
to  know  if  every  county  in  the  state  of  Washington  is  able 
to  do  that.  I  wish  to  offer  this  prediction  that  in  a  very  few 
years  the  state  of  Washington  will  either  stop  building  roads 
or  issue  bonds  for  the  reason,  as  one  of  the  gentlemen 
stated  there,  that  they  have  taxes  up  there  just  about  like 
they  do  in  other  states.  They  are  expending  large  sums  of 
money  on  a  short  mileage  of  road  and  the  result  is  going  to 
be  that  the  people  who  are  not  getting  any  benefits  of  the 
roads  are  going  to  oppose  this  expenditure.  So  to  cover 
your  entire  territory  and  build  roads  for  all  of  them  or  to 
build  roads  for  a  sufficient  number  of  them  to  secure  a  sen- 
timent in  favor  of  raising  money  they  will  be  ultimately  com- 
pelled to  issue  bonds.  I  don't  see  how  it  can  possibly  be 
done  otherwise.  As  I  say,  I  believe  that  all  of  us  are  glad 
tc  know  that  Washington  is  now  paying  as  it  goes. 

MR.  MACKENZIE:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  would  just  like  to 
give  a  word  of  information,  but  before  doing  so  I  have  a  tele- 
gram that  I  just  received  that  I  would  like  to  read  to  the 
convention.  It  is  from  the  main  steering  wheel  of  the  road 
machine  in  our  state,  our  governor.  He  sends  me  this  tele- 
gram : 


146  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

"C.  L.  MacKenzie,  President  Washington  Good  Roads 
Association,  care  Pan-American  Road  Congress,  Municipal 
Auditorium,  Oakland,  California. 

Kindly  express  to  the  members  of  the  road  congress  my 
sincere  regret  at  not  being  able  to  be  present.  I  consider 
road  construction  one  of  the  most  important  elements  in  the 
development  of  a  state.  I  am  sure  much  good  will  come 
from  the  deliberations  of  the  congress. 

(Signed)   Ernest  Lister, 
Governor    of    Washington." 

(Applause.) 

I  want  to  say  in  relation  to  our  system  of  building  roads 
in  Washington  that  I  believe  it  is  not  clear  to  some  of  the 
gentlemen  who  have  been  participating  in  the  discussion  in 
relation  to  bonds.  Our  roads  in  Washington  are  built  un- 
der the  provisions  of  two  laws.  One  is  the  State  Highway 
Law,  and  that  levies  one  mill  against  the  general  property 
cf  the  state  and  goes  into  a  fund  that  is  disbursed  entirely 
by  the  highway  commission.  Those  roads  selected  by  the 
state  legislature  are  improved  with  this  money  absolutely 
under  the  supervision  of  the  state  highway  commission. 
The  other  law  provides  for  a  mill  and  a  half  levy  and  has 
carried  that  levy  now  for  four  years,  and  it  is  called  a  per- 
manent highway  law.  That  law  provides  only  for  the  build- 
ing of  hard  surface  roads.  Those  roads  must  begin  at  a 
trade  center  and  the  improvements  must  connect  with  the 
part  already  improved.  The  improvement  under  the  per- 
manent highway  law  originates  by  petition  from  seventy- 
five  per  cent,  of  the  property  owners  adjoining  the  route 
petitioned  for.  The  petition  is  accepted  by  the  county  com- 
missioners, and  approved  by  the  state  highway  commis- 
sion. The  county  commissioners  contract  for  work,  and  the 
completed  work  is  approved  by  the  state  highway  engi- 
neers before  final  payment.  Property  within  a  three-mile 
radius  of  that  route  carries  fifteen  per  cent,  of  the  cost  of 
that  improvement,  payable  in  installments.  It  eliminates 
entirely  the  question  of  selecting  what  road  shall  be  im- 
proved, the  theory  being  that  if  these  men  are  willing  to 
pay  part  of  the  cost  of  the  improvement  then  it  is  up  to  the 
collective  users  of  the  road  of  the  county  and  the  state  to 
put  up  the  balance  of  the  money.  That  money  is  paid  in  to 
the  state,  but  is  credited  to  the  county  which  pays  the  tax. 
Our  county  has  a  valuation  of  about  forty-four  million  dol- 
lars and  pays  into  the  permanent  highway  fund  seventy  thou- 
sand dollars  a  year,  approximately.  We  have  built  under 
the  provisions  of  that  law  in  my  county  about  thirty  or 
forty  miles  in  the  last  four  years.  We  have  at  the  present 
time  petitions  from  property  owners,  mostly  farmers,  for 
about  thirty  miles  more,  enought  to  take  up  the  revenue  for 
three  or  four  years.  They  are  petitioning  that  far  ahead  for 
improvements.  The  state  highway  funds  are  being  expended 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  147 

to  complete  an  agreed-to  system  of  highways  that  cover  the 
state,  agreed  upon  by  our  legislature  and  highway  commis- 
sion. We  have  the  Pacific  highway,  which  extends  from  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  state  to  Portland,  Oregon,  as  one 
highway.  We  have  several  other  highways.  We  have  the 
Inland  Empire  highway,  which  crosses  the  state  completely 
from  east  to  west.  The  Inland  Empire  highway  is  about 
eighty  per  cent,  completed  at  the  present  time.  The  Pacific 
coast  highway  is  the  north  and  south  road  and  perhaps  about 
eighty  per  cent,  is  completed  at  the  present  time. 

Under  the  classification  of  improved  earth  roads  we  have 
in  our  state  at  the  present  time  four  thousand  five  hundred 
miles.  Now  that  doesn't  mean  just  a  plain,  common,  ordi- 
nary country  earth  road.  That  means  a  road  properly  lo- 
cated. In  our  state  we  hold  to  this  theory  that  the  only 
permanent  part  of  the  highway,  no  matter  if  you  build  it 
out  of  iron,  is  the  location  and  grade,  and  that  part  of  our 
system  we  have  endeavored  to  make  permanent.  We  have 
spared  no  expense  in  getting  the  best  grade  to  be  had. 
Five  per  cent,  is  the  maximum  grade  that  will  be  approved 
on  any  permanent'  highway  or  any  state  highway  by  our 
highway  commission.  We  then  build  these  roads.  The 
earth  grading  is  done;  the  culverts  are  put  in;  the  drainage 
is  provided  for  absolutely  on  the  best  engineering  advice 
obtainable.  Concrete  is  used  almost  entirely  in  these  roads 
at  the  present  time.  All  culverts,  all  drainage  pipes  are 
concrete,  but  the  work  done  by  the  state  up  to  the  present 
time  practically  is  simply  the  earth  grading  and  has  cost  us 
in  the  neighborhood  of  two  thousand  dollars  to  three  thou- 
sand dollars  a  mile.  We  plan  to  do  the  hard  surfacing  later. 
There  are  two  reasons  for  operating  under  that^  plan.  We 
are  operating  under  that  plan  in  our  county  at  the  present 
time,  under  our  permanent  highway  law  as  well,  which  law 
does  not  contemplate  doing  first  an  earth  grading  and  then 
doing  afterwards  a  hard  surface.  We  could,  if  we  desired, 
tuild  a  road  in  its  complete  state  the  first  year,  but  we 
desire  or  think  it  best,  and  find  good  results  to  come  from 
building  the  earth  grade  first.  We  let  that  settle'  the  first 
year  and  then  provide  for  the  hard  surface  afterwards.  That 
is  the  plan  that  the  state  is  following  in  the  construction 
of  state  highways  for  two  reasons.  We  desire  to  have 
an  absolutely  perfect  sub-grade,  one  that  will  carry  the  hard 
surface  afterwards,  and  it  should  have  a  year  to  settle. 
Most  of  the  defects  in  hard  surfaces  develop  from  a  de- 
ficient sub-grade  or  deficient  drainage.  Second,  the  best 
medicine  for  an  anti-good  roads  man,  and  we  know,  as  we 
used  to  have  them,  and  they  used  to  be  in  the  majority  in 
our  state,  is  to  give  him  a  taste  of  the  road  that  has  proper 
grades  first.  We  have  had  these  good  roads,  and  in  order 


148  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

to  get  the  grade  we  wanted  have  had  to  put  them  through 
with  intense  opposition;  but  after  two  or  three  months'  use 
by  the  farmers  and  the  others  who  use  them  and  who,  per- 
haps, led  the  opposition  they  have  reformed  and  became 
enthusiastic  boosters  for  good  roads.  The  second  year  we 
usually  have  no  opposition  whatever  to  hard  surfacing  that 
dirt  road.  The  dirt  road  can  be  kept  and  we  do  keep  them 
in  the  best  possible  condition.  We  use  road  drags  freely, 
and  for  six  or  eight  months  in  the  year  the  road  is  good. 
I  will  say  here  that  if  a  dirt  road  is  kept  in  condition  there 
is  no  better  road  as  long  as  it  is  dry,  but  wet  weather 
comes  on  and  you  can't  travel  a  dirt  road.  Then  your  man, 
v/ho  perhaps  is  not  an  enthusiast  for  building  a  fifteen  thou- 
sand dollar  a  mile  road,  but  who  has  tolerated  a  two  thou- 
sand dollar  a  mile  road,  immediately  becomes  a  convert  to 
the  fifteen  thousand  dollar  kind  because  he  wants  to  use 
it  in  the  winter  time,  and  he  urges  the  hard  surfacing  of  the 
dirt  highway.  As  to  the  figures  for  road  mileage  in  our 
state  referred  to  by  my  friend,  Judge  Albert,  I  would  say 
that  we  have  at  the  present  time  forty-five  hundred  miles 
of  improved  earth  road,  laid  out  under  the  five  per  cent 
maximum  grade  provision  with  absolutely  the  best  drainage 
provided,  ready  for  hard  surface  which  will  come  later  on. 
We  have  thirty-seven  hundred  miles  of  gravel  road.  Now, 
these  are  gravel  roads,  not  graveled  in  a  hit  and  miss  man- 
ner, but  graveled  under  the  supervision  of  our  state  high- 
way commission.  Then  we  have  paved  roads  five  hundred 
and  fifty  miles. 

The  solution  of  our  difficulty  and  the  establishment  of  an 
absolutely  sound  footing  for  the  good  road  sentiment  in 
our  state  was  the  passage  of  the  two  laws  just  mentioned, 
and  the  establishing  under  their  provision  of  a  highway 
commission  which  provides  for  a  highway  commissioner 
and  an  engineering  force  which  is  recognized  by  all  our 
counties  and  county  officials  as  the  recognized  central  au- 
thority in  our  state  on  road  construction  or  road  promotion. 
And,  gentlemen,  I  think  that  many  and  many  of  the  problems 
referred  to  here  in  the  way  of  opposition  would  disappear 
if  you  could  promote  and  establish  within  your  states  such 
a  system  as  we  have  providing  for  the  building  of  good 
roads. 

SIDNEY  SUGGS  (Oklahoma):  What  width  have  you 
given  those  roads? 

MR.  MACKENZIE:  The  term  road  refers  to  twenty-four 
foot  width.  We  aim  to  hard  surface  the  road  fourteen  to 
sixteen  feet  wide. 

MR.  SUGGS:  That  is  a  question  that  has  been  discussed 
a  good  deal,  the  question  of  width  of  road.  In  a  great  many 
of  our  counties  they  have  been  building  the  roads  too  wide, 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  149 

Cutting  too  much  money  on  the  sides  of  the  road  and  not 
enough  on  the  road. 

CHAIRMAN  COGGESHALL:  The  hour  is  getting  late 
and  there  are  yet  two  papers  to  be  presented.  I  would 
ask  the  gentlemen  to  confine  themselves  closely  to  the 
subject  under  discussion.  The  paper  under  discussion  is 
"Highway  Indebtedness,  Its  Limitation  and  Regulation." 
If  the  gentlemen  will  confine  themselves  to  that  paper  then 
v;e  can  take  up  other  matters  under  other  headings. 

MR.  COBB:  I  just  want  to  ask  one  question.  I  would 
like  to  know  what  is  your  constitutional  prohibition  against 
amendment?  Does  your  constitution  in  the  first  place  pro- 
hibit your  issuing  bonds?  Do  you  have  to  have  a  con- 
stitutional convention  to  correct  what  we  might  call  a  defect 
in  the  constitution? 

MR.  MACKENZIE:  We  had  to  have  before  w-e  could 
issue  bonds.  We  had  to  provide  a  method  of  issuing  bonds. 
Our  constitutional  provision  prohibits  the  issuing  of  bonds, 
or  at  least  we  now  have  a  statutory  provision  for  issuing 
road  bonds. 

MR.  COBB:  You  can  issue  road  bonds  by  a  vote  of  the 
people? 

MR.  MACKENZIE:  We  have  only  four  counties  in  the 
state-  who  have  issued  bonds. 

MR.  COBB:     Can  the  state  issue  bonds? 

MR.  MACKENZIE:  The  state  cannot  for  road  purposes, 
is  my  understanding  of  the  constitution. 

MR.  COBB:  Well,  I  think  you  certainly  have  very  good 
road  boosters  in  your  state  if  in  view  of  the  fact  you  can't 
issue  bonds  you  can  raise  such  large  sums  of  money.  As 
I  said  before,  I  doubt  if  you  are  going  to  keep  it  up  any 
great  length  of  time. 

MR.  ROY:  Mr.  Cobb  brings  up  a  question  there  that  I 
don't  know  whether  our  men  have  made  plain.  We  think 
that  is  one  of  the  best  things  in  our  state  road  law;  that  is, 
i.i  the  first  place,  that  we  have  a  system  of  state  roads  which 
is  authorized  by  the  state  legislature.  We  have  the  Sun- 
set highway  from  the  east,  coming  out  of  Idaho,  and 
going  through  the  state  from  east  to  west,  crossing  the 
Cascade  mountains.  We  have  the  Pacific  highway,  from 
Elaine  at  the  Canadian  border,  coming  down  south  through 
Seattle,  Tacoma,  the  city  of  Olympia  and  on  to  Portland. 
Then  we  have  a  number  of  less  important  state  roads  or 
primary  roads,  and  then  we  have  a  number  of  secondary 
roads,  but  these  are  all  put  on  the  map  by  the  state  legis- 
lature. Now  we  have  our  permanent  highway  laws.  Mr. 
MacKenzie  referred  to  them  and  they  provide  for  the  sur- 
facing of  these  roads  and  the  application  of  this  permanent 
highway  money  on  these  roads  is  provided  for  under  the 


150  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

law  and  the  plans  have  to  be  approved  by  the  highway  com- 
missioner. The  law  provides  that  in  starting  the  improve- 
ment, or  the  surfacing  of  a  road,  which  most  generally  is 
one  of  these  state  roads  leading  out  of  the  trade  centers 
or  county  seats,  it  must  continue  out  towards  the  next  trade 
center.  This  harmonizes  the  interests  in  all  these  roads  in 
the  rural  districts  and  eliminates  contention.  Each  neigh- 
borhood road  can't  be  improved,  but  the  main  arteries  are 
improved  in  the  construction  first  by  the  state  and  then  by 
the  application  of  the  permanent  highway  money.  No 
money  can  be  used  except  by  contract  and  no  contract  can 
be  for  a  less  distance  than  one  mile,  so  that  they  have  to 
have  money  to  lay  a  mile  of  road  and  let  it  to  the  lowest 
bidder  under  straight  competition  and  under  strict  super- 
vision. So  that  our  people  are  getting  the  roads  built  out 
from  one  trade  center  towards  the  next.  All  these  have 
feeders  on  earth  roads,  and  a  great  many  of  them  are 
graveled  by  the  agricultural  communities,  thus  eliminating 
practically  all  the  contention  and  little  bickerings  as  to  who 
shall  have  a  road  this  year  and  who  shall  have  it  next  year. 
We  are  getting  away  from  that  and  getting  harmonious 
action  from  our  people  throughout  the  state  on  account  of 
the  satisfactory  working  of  our  two  highway  laws. 

MR.  CARLTON:  I  would  like  to  make  one  statement  in 
regard  to  this  matter.  The  rate  as  given  by  the  gentleman 
from  Washington  if  applied  to  the  state  of  California  would 
produce  seven  and  one-half  million  dollars  in  one  year.  Now, 
I  don't  think  it  will  be  long  before  Washington  will  get 
tired  of  that  rate.  In  California  we  think  it  is  a  great 
thing  to  spend  eighteen  million  dollars  by  a  bond  issue. 
We  think  we  are  some  road  builders. 

MR.  WILLARD:  I  want  to  say  one  word  in  regard  to 
the  value  of  road  building.  I  have  heard  this  discussed  a 
great  many  times.  It  is  a  question  that  has  to  be  settled 
in  men's  minds,  because  even  in  such  an  intelligent  au- 
dience as  this  it  is  being  discussed.  In  our  counties  it 
seems  to  be  very  hard  to  get  it  into  men's  minds,  but  it  seems 
to  me  singular  that  it  should  crop  up  in  such  an  audience  as 
this.  What  is  a  dollar  worth  anyway?  I  ask  you,  gentle- 
men. Is  it  worth  five  cents,  or  six  cents?  That  is  the 
ordinary  rate  of  interest.  Is  it  worth  any  more  or  any 
less,  from  whichever  source  it  conies? 

Now,  gentlemen,  assume  if  you  take  a  direct  tax  and 
put  it  in  road  building  that  the  state  is  getting  the  money 
practically  for  nothing.  Is  that  the  end  of  it?  Every  dol- 
lar put  into  the  road  continues  to  earn  or  to  be  worth  at 
least  that  interest  for  every  year  for  all  time  to  come,  and 
the  only  kind  of  money  that  you  ever  could  get  for  nothing 
would  be  the  kind  of  money  that  people  might  have  in  their 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  151 

boot-leg  or  in  the  toe  of  an  old  sock  that  wasn't  doing 
anything.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  does  Washington  have  that 
kind  of  money?  Mr.  Albert  said  it  was  in  the  pockets 
oi  the  people  and  that  the  state  had  no  money  itself.  Now 
then,  whether  you  take  that  money  and  put  it  out  under 
a  bond  issue  and  have  a  systematic  scheme  of  road  building 
01  whether  you  get  it  by  direct  tax  and  build  a  few  miles 
this  year  and  a  few  miles  next  year  and  eventually  get 
those  two  roads  together,  the  cost  is  just  the  .same.  It 
is  worth  five  per  cent  for  every  year.  But  do  you  have  a 
system  there  which  permits  you  to  get  at  one  time  what  you 
need  or  what  the  country  believes  it  needs  in  the  way  of 
road  building?  The  only  possible  logic  in  not  doing  it  that 
way  is  the  one  suggested  by  this  gentleman,  namely,  that  if 
we  believe  we  are  not  sure  as  to  the  kind  of  road  we  ought 
to  have  that  would  be  a  legitimate  reason,  we  will  say,  for 
not  doing  it  in  a  systematic  way.  If  that  is  the  case,  then 
this  levy  of  two  and  one-half  mills  in  Washington  ought 
not  to  be  made  but  fiddle  along  for  about  two  years  until 
you  are  sure  and  the  type  of  road  you  want  is  determined 
upon.  (Applause.) 

MR.  REED:  That  is  right  and  wrong,  consistent  with 
the  point  of  extremes. 

MR.  TERRACE:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  don't  like  to  get  up 
so  often,  but  I  don't  like  to  see  Washington  put  in  a  bad 
light.  I  want  to  say  that  we  are  not  fiddling  along.  Wash- 
ington is  divided  into  two  equal  parts.  There  is  eastern 
Washington  and  there  is  western  Washington.  There  is  as 
much  difference  in  those  two  sides  of  the  state  as  there  is 
between  night  and  day.  One  is  a  dry  area  and  the  other  is 
a  wet  country  where  they  haul  their  wheat  out  over  the 
snow.  They  use  the  dirt  roads,  and  they  put  straw  on  them 
when  they  get  impassable  in  the  summer.  Western  Wash- 
ington is  heavily  timbered;  great  forests;  no  bottoms  to 
their  roads,  and  we  must  do  something  else.  We  have  paid 
our  mill  taxes  and  our  mill  and  a  half  in  the  state  treasury, 
and  we  haven't  been  satisfied  with  that  in  western  Wash- 
ington. We  have  bonded  ourselves  in  the  county  I  live  in 
for  three  million  dollars,  if  you  please.  We  are  spending 
pretty  nearly  five  million  dollars  and  we  are  not  fiddling 
along.  I  mean  to  say  that  the  state  of  Washington  is  one 
of  the  most  progressive  states  in  this  whole  Union.  (Ap- 
plause.) That  has  been  our  great  fight  in  Washington 
for  years,  and  your  humble  servant  has  been  in  the  front 
ranks  from  the  very  commencement,  between  eastern  Wash- 
ington and  western  Washington.  When  we  spoke  about 
our  high  priced  roads  they  kicked  and  bucked  about  having 
to  pay  state  taxes  to  build  those  roads.  Well,  we  said,  we 
will  pay  our  share  of  the  taxes  into  the  state  and  we  will 


152  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

bond  ourselves  and  we  will  not  ask  you  fellows  for  one  cent, 
but  we  are  going  to  have  good  roads.     (Applause.) 

MR.  MEEKER:  Mr.  Chairman,  it  is  an  axiom  that  you 
can  take  any  community  of  farmers  or  otherwise  and  if  they 
have  pretty  good  credit  they  will  be  a  little  more  lavish  in 
what  they  buy  and  careless  as  to  whether  they  get  their 
money's  worth.  Now  we  pioneers  built  our  roads  without 
bonding  and  pretty  nearly  without  taxation.  We  took  our 
shovels,  and  our  axes,  and  our  teams  and  we  went  out  and 
we  built  the  road,  wide,  too,  at  that  time,  but  it  brought  a 
spirit  among  the  pioneers  that  they  should  build  the  roads 
and  pay  for  them  as  they  go  along.  If  you  run  into  debt 
indiscriminately  with  your  bond  issue  you  are  not  likely  to 
get  your  money's  worth  like  you  will  if  you  are  taxed  and 
pay  for  it  as  you  go  along.  Admitted  that  you  can  forge 
ahead  faster  with  bond  issues,  you  must  remember  the 
generation  to  come  has  some  rights  which  we  must  re- 
spect. I  believe  in  paying  as  you  go. 

JESSE  D.  JEWKES:  I  believe  at  this  juncture  it  is  well 
to  say  that  consistency  is  a  jewel.  There  are  extremes  and 
there  are  the  means.  I  want  to  speak  just  a  moment  or  two 
as  to  our  system  of  raising  funds  in  Utah.  I  am  proud  to 
say  at  the  outset  that  we  believe  in  unity  and  that  the  strong 
shall  have  a  regard  for  the  weak.  The  fund  that  is  raised 
in  Utah  is  $1,800,000  a  year.  We  are  a  small  state,  not  so 
wealthy,  but  we  believe  in  doing  our  utmost  for  roads. 
First  of  all,  we  have  the  road  spirit.  We  want  roads  and 
we  want  to  get  them  the  best  way  possible.  We  do  not 
feel  at  this  time  *that  it  is  wise  to  bond. 

There  are  a  great  many  factors  that  enter  into  this  ques- 
tion, it  seems  to  me.  First,  in  respect  to  the  remarks  of  4 
the  gentleman  who  made  the  suggestion  here  this  after- 
noon, have  we  fully  determined  what  type  of  road  will  best 
endure  in  our  state?  Perhaps  a  type  of  road  that  you  are 
building  in  California  would  not  endure  the  climatic  condi- 
tions in  Utah,  and  I  believe  there  are  conditions  to  figure 
on  and  talk  about.  But  getting  back  to  the  question  of 
funds,  we  did  bond  in  the  state  of  Utah,  made  a  small  bond 
issue  some  three  years  ago  for  two  hundred  and  sixty  thou- 
sand dollars,  a  very  small  bond,  but  that  bond  issue  was  the 
means  of  developing  the  road  spirit  in  our  state.  We  divid- 
ed the  proceeds  received  from  that  bond  issue  equally  among 
the  twenty-six '  counties  of  our  state,  one  being  omitted. 
That  was  the  most  wealthy  one.  Salt  Lake  county,  our  most 
populous  and  most  wealthy  county,  waived  its  right  to  the 
weaker  counties  and  did  not  participate  in  any  part  of  this 
bond  issue.  Many  people  have  seen  fit  to  complain  even 
about  this  bond  issue;  and  in  various  gatherings  in  talking 
about  this  question  I  put  out  the  question  to  a  number  of 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  153 

our  citizens,  some  of  those  who  have  had  reason  or  felt 
that  they  had  reason  to  complain.  Gentlemen,  what  is  this 
really  costing  you? 

Those  that  were  opposed  to  the  bond  issue  I  asked 
this  question:  What  do  you  really  think  it  costs  the  man 
who  pays  tax  on  an  assessed  valuation  of  a  thousand  dol- 
lars to  pay  back  this  bonded  indebtedness?  I  have  been 
very  surprised  at  the  answers  received.  Without  taking  too 
much  time  I  want  to  tell  you  that  it  costs  the  man  in  our 
state  in  tax  on  a  thousand  dollars  one  cent  more  than  a 
shoe  shine  each  year  to  pay  back  the  principal  and  the 
interest.  That  bond  issue  did  do  something.  It  brought 
about  the  road  spirit.  The  bond  issue  was  divided  among 
tiie  twenty-six  counties  and  we  built  some  good  roads  with 
it  of  an  earth  type.  Today  we  have  a  tax.  We  have  the 
right  to  tax  the  counties,  as  the  county  is  the  unit.  We 
have  had  precinct  units  in  the  past  that  could  levy  a  tax  not 
ti;  exceed  five  mills.  Today  we  have  a  county  unit  in  levy- 
ing taxes,  and  the  proceeds  received  from  this  tax  are  used 
in  connection  with  the  appropriation  made  by  the  state. 
We  are  building  today  the  roads  as  we  go.  There  are  sec- 
tions, however,  in  our  state  that  I  believe  could  be  bonded, 
and  it  would  be  well  to  do  it  because  the  type  of  road  that 
is  constructed  would  be  permanent  and  should  be.  In  those 
sections  I  think  it  is  well  to  bond. 

Now  let  it  be  an  economic  question.  Are  we  building 
economical^1-?  Is  every  dollar  doing  its  full  value?  We  feel 
that  in  our  state  it  has  been,  as  much  as  it  is  possible  for 
public  money  to  do.  I  have  listened  with  interest  to  the 
discussions  here  this  afternoon,  and  I  would  say  in  con- 
cluding that  the  wise  thing  to  do  is  to  find  out  the  con- 
dition. If  the  condition  warrants  the  bond  issue  let  us  have 
a  bond  issue.  If  we  are  not  yet  prepared  for  it,  if  our  popu- 
lation is  sparse  and  we  haven't  the  valuation  consistent  with 
bonding  and  expending  money  for  a  type  of  road  that  will 
endure,  then  I  think  we  should  be  willing  to  pay  as  we  go. 
(Applause.) 

MR.  FARLEY:  I  want  to  supplement  the  remarks  of  the 
gentleman  who  said  that  a  dollar  was  worth  five  cents  or 
six  cents  whether  you  were  a  borrower  or  a  lender.  I  quite 
agree  with  that  principle.  I  think  that  is  quite  the  obvious 
principle.  I  also  want  to  say  this;  that  with  a  bond  issue 
as  compared  with  a  direct  tax  system  the  people  who  use 
the  roads  are  those  who  pay  for  them  under  the  bond  issue 
There  is  no  question  that  the  science  of  road  building  has 
reached  a  point  where  we  can  build  a  road  which  will  last 
twenty-five  years  or  twenty  years,  or  the  term  of  a  reason- 
able bond.  In  that  case  those  people  who  use  the  roads  for 
twenty  or  twenty-five  years  participate  in  the  payment  for 


154  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

them,  which  is  just  and  equitable  and  which  is  sound  finance. 
It  is  a  very  generous  thing  for  the  state  of  Washington  to 
build  permanent  roads  which  will  last  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  years  and  give  them  to  posterity.  That  is  a  fine,  cour- 
ageous spirit,  but  among  many  of  our  communities  it  would 
cramp  the  legitimate  development  of  other  public  functions, 
of  other  public  necessities,  and  that  would  be  wrong.  There 
is  justice  in  a  bond  issue  as  compared  with  a  direct  tax  for 
the  purpose  of  building  permanent  roads.  In  every  sense  it  is 
an  equitable  proceeding.  As  regards  the  cost  I  think  it 
should  be  particularly  emphasized  that  we  do  not  pay  two 
and  one-half  times  the  value  of  the  bond  issue  in  paying 
it  off  or  any  number  of  times  the  value  of  the  bond  issue. 
The  money  is  worth  five  per  cent,  whether  you  are  a  bor- 
rower or  a  lender.  The  seven  million  dollars  which  the 
state  of  Washington  raises  in  a  year,  or  whatever  amount 
it  is,  is  worth  five  per  cent,  to  those  people  who  paid  it. 
Now  they  are  paying  in  one  year  for  something  the  people 
will  use  for  twenty  years.  Posterity  has  its  claims  on  us, 
but  it  is  not  a  claim  that  might  endanger  the  legitimate  de- 
velopment of  other  public  necessities.  (Applause.) 

MR.  BUTLER  (Los  Angeles):  I  am  neither  a  good  road 
engineer  nor  a  good  road  builder.  My  work  follows  the 
completion  of  good  roads.  I  handle  the  traffic  department 
of  the  city  of  Los  Angeles.  I  am  a  good  road  booster. 
That  is  why  I  am  here.  I  am  taking  my  vacation.  I  am 
here  to  listen  to  the  discussions  that  are  taking  place  in  this 
convention.  Los  Angeles  is  a  pioneer  county  in  southern 
California  in  the  road  building  and  bond  issuing  in  that  part 
of  the  state.  About  six  or  seven  years  ago — as  I  say  I  am 
not  in  the  road  building  business  and  I  will  have  to  deal  in 
general  instead  of  specific  figures — about  seven  years  ago  the 
county  voted  something  over  three  million  dollars  to  build 
roads.  They  built  with  that  three  million  dollars  about 
three  hundred  and  ten  miles  of  macadam,  hard-surface  road; 
and  at  the  present  time,  within  the  next  sixty  days,  there 
will  probably  be  a  vote  taken  on  the  question  of  issuing 
three  million  dollars  worth  of  bonds  for  additional  good 
roads.  I  believe  the  opinion  in  Los  Angeles  county  is 
unanimous  that  the  roads  are  the  best  investment  that  the 
city  or  county  own.  The  roads  extending  into  the  country 
extend  to  the  county  lines,  and  since  we  began  the  con- 
struction of  these  roads  every  county  adjoining  Los  Angeles 
has  voted  bonds  ranging  from  two  and  one-half  to  three 
million  dollars,  and  are  all  at  the  present  time — I  believe 
Ventura  county  just  voted  bonds  about  a  month  ago — are 
now  actively  engaged  in  the  work,  if  not  in  actual  road  con- 
struction, in  the  work  preliminary  thereto;  and  I  have  had 
occasion  to  notice  the  traffic  reaching  the  city  over  those 
lines. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  155 

•» 

My  acquaintance  is  large  throughout  the  rural  district. 
I  happen  to  know  one  man  thirty-two  miles  away  from  the 
city  engaged  in  the  dairy  business.  Previous  to  the  com- 
pletion of  the  roads  it  was  necessary  to  haul  his  milk  a 
couple  of  miles  to  a  station  and  depend  on  an  electric  car 
to  pick  it  up,  take  it  to  the  freight  yards,  have  it  picked 
up  at  the  freight  yards  and  taken  to  the  distributing  station 
in  the  city.  Since  the  advent  of  this  good  road  a  man  has 
gone  into  business  with  a  truck  and  he  goes  around  to  the 
small  farmers,  the  small  dairymen,  and  in  two  hours  from 
the  time  the  milk  leaves  the  farmers'  doors  it  is  in  the  dis- 
tribution station  at  Los  Angeles. 

The  Harbor  boulevard  reaches  from  the  harbor  to  the  city, 
about  sixteen  or  seventeen  miles.  Previous  to  the  advent 
or  previous  to  the  completion  of  the  harbor  boulevard  the 
freight  that  came  in  by  ship  was  unloaded  in  the  ware- 
houses and  from  there  into  a  freight  car  and  from  the  freight 
car  into  the  shed  at  the  wholesale  house  in  Los  Angeles,  and 
from  there  to  the  retailer  or  jobber.  At  the  present  time 
tractors  are  operating  on  that  boulevard.  I  think  one  firm  in 
the  city  there  used  heavy  two-horse  trucks.  They  were  in 
the  trucking  business  there  for  several  years,  and  now  they 
have  purchased  a  tractor.  They  hook  eight  or  nine  or 
ten  two-horse  trucks  onto  that  tractor  and  bring  a  trainload 
of  that  freight  up  that  boulevard  every  hour  directly  from  the 
dock  and  distribute  it  either  to  the  wholesale  houses  or  to 
the  retailers  if  they  have  an  order  of  that  magnitude.  Some 
do  not  stop  at  Los  Angeles.  Instead  of  stopping  in  Los  An- 
geles they  take  those  roads  clear  on  through  to  Pomona 
and  as  far  as  San  Bernardino  without  even  unloading  in 
Los  Angeles.  They  save  handling  by  the  men.  Does  it  pay 
those  people  to  pay  taxes  to  get  good  roads?  It  is  a  saving 
in  the  handling  of  goods  and  a  saving  in  expense  to  the 
consumer. 

In  that  connection  I  think  it  would  be  well  for  the  engi- 
neers who  are  building  these  highways  to  look  into  the 
future  as  to  the  weight  of  loads  to  be  hauled  on  these  boule- 
vards. Our  boulevards  were  considered  at  the  time>  five 
or  six  years  ago,  when  they  were  built,  heavy  enough  to  carry 
these  loads.  Since  that  time  heavy  tractors  have  been  built 
and  are  hauling  enormous  loads.  The  question  is  can  you 
build  a  road  now  that  will  withstand  the  load  that  will  come 
hereafter?  With  the  development  of  the  motor  truck  we 
will  be  hauling  heavier  loads,  and  that  is  one  thing  that  we 
find  on  the  roads  in  Los  Angeles  that  has  been  to  the  detri- 
ment of  the  roads.  The  roads  were  not  heavy  enough. 

CHAIRMAN  COGGESHALL:  Pardon  me.  The  subject 
under  discussion,  you  know  is  "Highway  Indebtedness,  Its 
Limitation  and  Regulation." 


166  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

MR.  BUTLER:  In  conclusion  I  would  like  to  say  that 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  investment— what  I  was  getting 
at  was  the  standpoint  of  investment — is  that  those  highways 
have  more  than  returned  the  interest  necessary  to  pay  those 
bonds  in  taxes  derived  from  added  wealth  to  the  county,  in 
development  of  heretofore  undeveloped  country.  And  if 
Los  Angeles  were  asked  today  to  determine  whether  the  in- 
vestment is  a  good  one  or  not  there  would  be  an  unanimous 
verdict  that  it  is.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  COGGESHALL:  Is  there  any  further  dis- 
cussion on  this  subject?  I  have  been  asked  to  give  two  or 
three  notices  and  call  your  attention  to  the  excursions.  You 
will  find  them  in  the  program  of  the  Pan-American  Roads 
Congress.  I  would  say  for  your  further  enlightenment  that 
the  excursions  will  start  on  Saturday  morning  from  in  front 
ot  Hotel  Oakland.  I  have  been  asked  to  tell  you  that  it  is 
well  worth  the  money  for  you  to  go  because  it  won't  cost 
you  a  cent.  Everybody  wants  to  come  and  go  on  the  ex- 
cursion as  the  guests  of  the  promoters  at  nine  o'clock  on 
Saturday  morning  from  the  Hotel  Oakland. 

I  have  here  a  letter  to  the  convention  from  the  U.  S. 
Products  Company: 

"San  Francisco,  California,  September  14,  1915. 
To  the  Officers  and  Members  of  The  Pan-American  Road 
Congress,  Auditorium,   Oakland,   California. 

Gentlemen:  We  desire  to  extend  to  the  officers  and  mem- 
bers of  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress  in  convention  at 
Oakland,  an  invitation  to  visit  the  exhibit  of  the  United  States 
Steel  Corporation  and  subsidiary  companies  in  the  Palace  of 
Mines  and  Metallurgy.  We  have  an  exhibit  covering  all  our 
department  products  and  uses  thereof,  together  with  a  motion 
picture  display  showing  all  of  the  corporation's  activities, 
together  with  a  Music  Recital  Hall.  Our  representatives 
and  attendants  will  be  most  pleased  to  receive  your  mem- 
bers and  extend  to  them  any  possible  courtesies. 

Trusting  that  we  may  have  the  pleasure  of  a  visit  we  are, 

Yours  truly, 
United  States  Steel  Products  Co., 

Pacific  Coast  Department, 
(Signed^  A.  T.  DeForrest,  Vice  President." 

We  are  in  the  receipt  of  a  telegram  from  Judge  W.  S. 
Worden,  treasurer  of  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads  Association. 
Judge  Worden  was  to  preside  at  one  of  the  sessions  tomor- 
row, I  think  it  is  the  afternoon  session  at  the  exposition. 
He  wires: 

"Expected  to  be  with  you  today,  but  circumstances  beyond 
my  control  prevent  my  coming.  Please  express  my  regrets 
to  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress. 

(Signed)  William  S.  Worden." 

I  would  say  that  from  a  personal  acquaintance  with  Judge 
Worden  I  feel  that  it  is  your  loss  that  he  will  not  be  here  to 
preside  tomorrow,  as  you  would  find  him  to  be  a  most  ex- 
cellent presiding  officer. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  157 

The  Pacific  coast  association,  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads 
Association,  has  been  honored  again  today  by  being  asked 
to  furnish  another  of  its  members  to  preside  over  the  con- 
vention with  myself  at  this  meeting.  Therefore  it  is  my 
pleasure  to  introduce  to  you  the  Hon.  J.  H.  Albert,  of  Salem, 
Oregon,  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads 
Association,  who  will  preside  here  for  the  balance  of  the 
session.  Gentlemen,  Hon.  J.  H.  Albert.  (Applause.) 

(Hon.  J.  H.  Albert  then  took  the  Chair.) 

CHAIRMAN  ALBERT:  The  next  item  upon  the  pro- 
gram is  "Organization  and  System  in  Highway  Work."  We 
have  a  paper  by"  A.  B.  Fletcher,  state  highway  engineer  of 
California.  Mr.  Fletcher  is  not  present,  but  his  paper  will 
be  read  by  Mr.  Sharpies. 

MR.  SHARPLES:  Mr.  Fletcher  wished  me  to  express 
his  regrets  in  not  being  able  to  be  present  with  you  this 
afternoon,  owing  to  urgent  state  business  requiring  his 
presence  elsewhere. 


Organization  and  System  in  Highway   Work 

By  AUSTIN  B.  FLETCHER 
Highway  Engineer,  California  Highway  Commission 

(Read  by  Mr.  Sharpies) 

It  goes  without  saying  that  no  highway  department — 
municipal,  county,  state  or  national — can  exist  successfully 
without  organization  and  system;  but  it  is  equally  obvious 
that  no  general  system  can  be  set  up  which  will  be  work- 
able in  all  such  jurisdictions,  or,  in  fact,  which  will  be  gen- 
erally applicable  to  all  departments  of  the  same  sort  of  juris- 
diction. The  laws  and  customs  differ  so  greatly  in  different 
localities  that  for  that  reason  alone  it  is  not  possible. 

The  prime  essential  in  any  highway  department  is  a  force 
of  loyal,  able  servants  of  the  public  who  are  willing  and 
ready  to  submerge  self-interest  and  to  perform  real,  con- 
scientious service  for  the  public.  No  corporation,  public  or 
private,  can  long  exist  if  the  attainment  of  personal  credit 
is  the  chief  aim  of  its  officers  and  employees. 

The  essential  next  in  importance,  in  my  opinion,  is  a  rigid 
establishment  of  responsibility  for  the  various  acts  of  the 
department. 

It  is  true  that  a  small  highway  department  can  often  be 
managed  fairly  successfully  without  many  rules  and  with 
little  formality  or  system,  depending  much  upon  the  personal 
characteristics  of  the  head  of  the  department;  but  in  the 
case  of  the  great  state  departments  charged  with  the  re- 
sponsibility of  expending  wisely  large  sums  of  the  money 
of  the  people  such  an  easy-going  plan  is  unthinkable. 

In  the  large  highway  departments  every  official  and  em- 
ployee, from  the  top  down,  should  have  his  duties  and  re- 
sponsibilities fixed  as  closely  as  it  is  possible  to  fix  them, 


158  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

and  it  is  one  of  the  principal  duties  of  the  executive  officer 
to  see  that  each  employee  under  him  stays  in  his  own  corral. 

I  would  not  like  to  be  understood  as  meaning  that  there 
is  not  room  for  friendships  and  consultations  among  the 
employees  and  between  .the  employees  and  the  head  of  the 
department,  for  I  believe  that  anything  which  will  promote 
good  fellowship  or,  if  you  will,  "esprit  du  corps"  in  the  de- 
partment should  be  encouraged.  All  machinery,  human  or 
otherwise,  requires  a  proper  amount  of  lubrication  to  make 
it  effective;  but  if  the  several  parts  of  a  machine  are  not 
properly  designed,  adjusted  and  made  of  the  right  sort  of 
stuff  no  amount  of  oil  will  prevent  friction.  » 

In  most  of  the  state  highway  departments  of  which  I  have 
knowledge  the  head  consists  of  three  commissioners,  usually 
appointed  by  the  Governor  of  the  state.  If  the  department 
has  merely  to  carry  on  the  orders  of  the  Legislature,  sup- 
posing that  that  body  has  defined  the  roads  which  are  cO 
be  built  and  left  no  choice  as  to  their  locations,  I  can.  see 
no  necessity  for  more  than  one  commissioner.  Usually, 
however,  the  Legislature  does  not  fix  the  routes  with  any 
degree  of  accuracy  and  the  department  must  make  selec- 
tions. The  selection  of  routes  is  not  an  easy  task,  since  the 
people  have  many  ideas  as  to  where  the  roads  should  be 
placed  and  many  ingenious  arguments  to  present  in  support 
of  their  desires.  In  such  an  event  three  commissioners  are 
none  too  many.  But  if  the  department  has  only  to  build 
and  maintain  roads,  a  single-headed  department  can  doubt- 
less work  faster  and  more  efficiently,  to  use  that  much  over- 
worked word. 

The  tendency  of  the  times  is  toward  placing  all  public 
employees  under  civil  service.  This  has  developed  some 
awkward  features  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  public  has 
sometimes  paid  more  for  its  highway  work  because  of  civil 
service  than  without  it.  There  are  unavoidable  delays  in 
securing  employees  which  are  doubtless  reflected  in  the  cost 
of  the  work,  and- employees  have  probably  been  retained, 
because  of  civil  service  rules,  who  would  have  been  dis- 
charged under  other  conditions. 

I  believe,  however,  after  an  experience  of  many  years,  that 
the  personnel  of  a  department  under  civil  service  control 
will  average  much  greater  in  efficiency  than  under  the  older 
plan  of  appointment  and  retention  because  of  political  influ- 
ence; and  I  have  noticed  no  lack  of  "esprit  du  corps"  trace- 
able to  the  civil  service  idea.  The  new  plan  now  proposed  in 
California  of  retaining  employees,  when  the  forces  must  be 
reduced  in  number,  on  the  basis  of  ability  and  with  little 
regard  for  seniority  will  correct  one  of  the  difficulties. 

When  a  new  highway  department  is  about  to  be  organized, 
a  business  system  must  be  developed  to  carry  on  the  work 
effectively.  Many  engineers  and  commissioners  are  able  to 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  159 

set  up  such  a  system,  but  in  these  days  of  experts  in  all  lines 
of  human  endeavor  it  is  much  easier  and  usually  better  to 
call  in  a  "business  systematizer"  to  work  out  the  problems, 
at  least  in  a  consulting  capacity.  A  good  man  of  this  sort 
can  save  the  department  much  labor  and  time. 

The  accounting  systems  of  the  states  vary  greatly.  Most 
of  them  are  archaic  and  often  much  skill  is  required  to  adapt 
them  to  the  methods  of  modern  business.  Public  work  dif^ 
fers  greatly  from  private  corporation  work  in  this  particular. 
Aside  from  the  various  and  many  safeguards  which  must 
be  placed  about  the  spending  of  public  money,  and  which 
are  usually  statutory  prohibitions,  there  are  many  require- 
ments which  may  be  truly  called  "red  tape  methods"  which 
should  be  done  away  with. 

Some  of  the  "red  tape"  is  merely  tradition  in  the  auditing 
boards.  The  business  systematizer  will  help  to  cut  this. 

Other  things  being  equal,  the  simpler  the  system  which 
is  devised,  the  better.  I  have  a  suspicion  that,  left  unre- 
strained, the  systematizer's  natural  bent  is  to  evolve  a  com- 
plicated assortment  of  records,  hard  to  understand  when 
made  up  and  of  little  practical  use.  Each  record  and  account 
should  tell  its  story  in  the  simplest  manner  and  at  the  least 
possible  cost  of  labor. 

It  is  hardly  possible  for  a  highway  department  to  do  all 
of  its  work  by  the  contract  plan.  Small  pieces  of  work  or 
work  of  a  complicated  nature  may  often  be  done  best  by  the 
day  labor  method. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  do  work  by  day  labor  unless 
the  department  has  at  its  command  ready  money  in  the 
form  of  a  "revolving  fund"  or  "working  capital."  Unsatis- 
factory employees  have  to  be  paid  off  before  they  are  dis- 
charged and  the  laborers  in  general  should  be  paid  weekly  or 
at  the  most  every  two  weeks  to  keep  them  contented. 

If  the  department  supplies  materials  to  its  contractors  or 
for  its  day  labor  work,  it  often  happens  that  freight  charges 
must  be  advanced.  In  order  to  purchase  its  supplies  at  the 
most  advantageous  rates  it  is  often  necessary  to  make  pay- 
ments faster  than  the  usual  auditing  routine  will  permit. 

The  establishment  of  a  "revolving  fund"  or  the  setting 
aside  of  a  sum  of  money  from  an  appropriation  to  the  credit 
of  the  department  to  be  checked  out  by  it  without  audit  until 
after  the  expenditure  has  many  advantages;  but,  of  course, 
there  is  also  considerable  risk  involved.  I  know  of  no  way 
of  avoiding  this  risk  except  by  using  extreme  care  in  the 
selection  of  the  persons  handling  the  funds  and  by  requir- 
ing all  such  persons  to  furnish  fidelity  bonds  in  an  adequate 
amount. 

In  California  the  people  voted  to  expend  $18,000,000  in 
building  a  system  of  state  highways.  The  roads  were  de- 
sired quickly  and  there  was  no  limit  placed  on  the  amount  to 


160  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

be  expended  in  any  one  year.  The  act  of  the  Legislature 
and  the  referendum  act  relating  to  the  bond  issue  did  not 
locate  the  roads  except  in  a  most  general  way. 

The  department  of  engineering  of  the  state  was  intrusted 
with  the  expenditure  of  the  money  and  the  department  was 
augmented  by  three  members  called  in  the  law  "appointed 
members,"  it  being  the  intent  that  the  additional  members 
should  devote  their  attention  to  the  state  highway  work. 
A  highway  engineer  was  also  added  to  the  department  and 
provision  was  made  for  such  engineering  and  other  assist- 
ants as  should  be  needed. 

The  department  of  engineering  by  resolution  delegated 
to  the  "appointed  members"  thereafter  called  the  California 
Highway  Commission  all  of  its  authority  concerning  the 
state  highways  which  it  could  confer  upon  it  legally. 

Not  long  after  studying  the  problem  the  commission  con- 
cluded that,  considering  the  magnitude  of  the  project,  it 
would  be  best  to  organize  upon  a  basis  as  nearly  like  that 
of  a  large  private  corporation  as  possible.  It  set  up  depart- 
ments of  engineering,  accounting  and  purchasing  and  made 
the  secretary  the  disbursing  officer.  The  highway  engineer 
was  made  the  executive  officer  of  the  commission  and  the 
several  departments  report  to  him  directly. 

An  able  firm  of  business  systematizers  was  retained  to 
assist  in  devising  a  scheme  of  accounts  and  forms  and  their 
work  was  done  so  skilfully  that  but  slight  changes  have 
been  needed  during  the  three  or  more  years  of  operating 
under  it. 

It  was  determined  early  that  it  would  be  best  to  purchase 
the  materials  for  construction  and  deliver  them  to  the  con- 
tractors, thus  by  purchasing  in  bulk  controlling  the  quality 
of  the  materials  and  securing  them  at  prices  lower  than  the 
contractors  could. 

The  Engineering  Department  of  the  commission  now  has 
reporting  to  the  Highway  Engineer  three  Assistant  Highway 
Engineers  and  seven  Division  Engineers,  each  of  these 
officers  having  certain  definite  duties  to  perform.  The  First 
Assistant  Highway  Engineer  acts  as  deputy  to  the  Highway 
Engineer  and  under  his  direction  has  charge  of  all  of  the 
activities  of  the  department.  The  Second  Assistant  is 
expected  to  spend  all  of  his  time  on  the  construction  work 
in  the  field.  He  reports  directly  to  the  Highway  Engineer 
and  gives  no  orders  himself  to  the  division  engineers  whose 
work  he  inspects,  although  he  often  consults  with  them. 
The  Third  Assistant  is  stationed  at  headquarters  and  works 
under  the  direction  of  the  First  Assistant.  The  headquarters 
office  engineering  force  is  small  and  does  principally  re- 
viewing of  the  work  of  the  division  offices.  It  also  prepares 
the  specifications  and  a  considerable  amount  of  bridge 
designing  and  checking. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  161 

The  state  was  divided  into  seven  divisions  after  much 
study  of  the  topography,  density  of  population  and  other 
factors,  and  each  division  was  placed  under  the  direct  charge 
of  a  "Division  Engineer."  Each  Division  Engineer  has  entire 
control  of  the  work  of  his  division,  including  the  surveys  and 
plans,  the  construction  work  and  the  road  maintenance,  and 
it  will  be  observed  that  the  division  engineers  are  very 
important  spokes  in  the  organization  wheel. 

I  am  not  aware  of  any  special  innovations  in  the  fore- 
going plan  of  organization  unless  it  be  in  the  case  of  the 
"Second  Assistant  Highway  Engineer."  Under  some  con- 
ditions such  a  position  might  be  extremely  difficult  for  any 
man,  but  "personality"  in  the  officer  himself  and  the  loyalty 
and  breadth  of  the  division  engineers  have  made  his  task 
both  effective  and  agreeable. 

The  purchase  and  delivery  of  materials  is  also  somewhat 
new  in  state  highway  work.  It  entails  much  labor  an4 
expense  which  under  other  conditions  are  absorbed  by  the 
contractors. 

But  the  plan  is  surely  worth  while.  The  old  worries  about 
the  quality  of  materials  are  done  away  with  as  are  also 
many  of  the  delays  in  delivery.  The  struggle,  usually- 
successful,  of  the  Purchasing  and  Engineering  Departments 
to  keep  the  contractors  amply  supplied  with  materials,  adds 
a  zest  to  the  work. 

California,  if  she  has  not  already  the  feeling,  is  going  to 
be  very  proud  of  her  system  of  state  highways. 

No  small  part  of  that  attainment  will  be  due  to  the  loyal, 
conscientious  work  of  the  several  hundred  servants  of  the 
people  composing  the  organization. 

I,  myself,  am  proud  to  be  one  of  the  spokes  in  the  wheel. 


CHAIRMAN  ALBERT:  This  paper  was  to  be  discussed 
by  H.  R.  Carter,  state  highway  engineer  of  Arkansas,  and 
by  Mr.  C.  D.  Blaney,  chairman  of  the  state  highway  com- 
mission of  California.  Are  these  gentlemen  present?  Ap- 
parently not,  so  that  the  discussion  of  this  paper  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  assembly.  Is  there  anyone  present  who  wishes 
to  participate  in  the  discussion,  either  to  call  attention  to  or 
criticise  any  portion  of  the  paper?  If  not,  we  will  pass  to 
the  next  item,  "The  Educational  Field  for  Highway  Depart- 
ments." We  have  a  paper  by  Prof.  L.  S.  Smith,  Department 
of  Highway  Engineering  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 
Mr.  Smith  is  not  present,  .but  his  paper  is  here  and  will  be 
read  by  title. 

The  Educational  Field  for  State  Highway  Departments 

By  PROF.  L.  S.  SMITH 
Department  of  Highway  Engineering,  University  of  Wisconsin 

The  writer  realizes  that  there  are  many  state  officials  pres- 
ent far  more  competent  to  present  this  important  phase  of 


162  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

highway  work  than  he.  All  that  he  will  here  attempt  will 
be  to  give  some  suggestions  which  have  been  gleaned  from 
a  careful  study  of  road  and  pavement  conditions  at  home 
and  in  European  countries.  The  limits  set  for  this  paper 
will  scarcely  allow  of  more  than  a  general  introduction  of 
the  topic.  It  is  of  course  expected  that  state  highway  offi- 
cials and  others  will  add  such  valuable  discussions  as  their 
own  experience  may  suggest.  Because  of  the  fact  that  the 
road  problem  in  each  state  is  now  and  always  must  be  to 
a  great  extent  a  local  question,  close  agreement  of  detailed 
ways  and  means  cannot  be  expected  or  even  desired.  It  is 
to  be  expected,  therefore,  that  the  educational  field  of  state 
highway  departments  will  vary  greatly  in  different  states, 
due  to  the  widely  different  conditions  of  population,  traffic, 
road  materials,  etc.  And  yet  the  writer  believes  we  can  all 
agree  upon  three  all-important  truths  as  constituting  in  one 
fprm  or  other  the  main  educational  field  in  every  state.  We 
must  teach  our  people  by  road  literature,  by  practical  object 
lesson  construction,  and  in  our  technical  schools  that  a  suc- 
cessful state  highway  system  is  absolutely  dependent  upon: 
First,  a  scientific  selection  and  design  of  the  proper  type 
of  construction  for  each  widely  different  section  and  service; 
second,  scientific  construction  of  the  entire  road  in  its  many 
details  from  foundation  to  wearing  surface,  and,  third,  scien- 
tific maintenance  of  these  roads  to  secure  a  minimum  total 
annual  cost  to  taxpayers  with  a  maximum  of  comfortable 
service. 

The  writer  is  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  great  mass 
of  our^  people  are  far  from  being  convinced  of  the  above 
statements.  This  fact,  indeed,  furnishes  the  pressing  need 
for  an  educational  propaganda.  Our  almost  countless  num- 
bers of  non-expert  and  short-term  local  highway  officials 
(4,000  in  Wisconsin)  have  attempted  for  50  years  to  con- 
struct roads.  Their  efforts  have  consumed  many  hundred 
millions  of  dollars,  but  up  to  the  time,  in  very  recent  years, 
when  state  highway  departments  took  responsible  charge  of 
this  work,  the  net  results  of  their  enormous  expenditures  were 
road  conditions  little,  if  any,  better  than  when  these  officials 
began  their  objectless  and  endless  tasks. 

This  fact  has  been  so  long  before  our  people  that  it  seems 
strange  its  vital  import  has  not  sooner  and  more  generally 
been  grasped.  It  will  be  noted  that  state  highway  depart- 
ments have  received  financial  support  in  our  various  states 
in  direct  proportion  to  the  public*  recognition  of  the  futility 
of  continuing  the  old,  discredited  system. 

Except  in  a  few  states,  this  financial  recognition  by  the 
public  has  been  grossly  inadequate  for  the  pressing  highway 
needs  of  our  communities.  While  other  agencies  have  con- 
tributed and  will  in  the  future  contribute  toward  larger 
state  highway  funds,  continued  educational  enlightenment 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD  CONGRESS  165 

of  the  public  as  suggested  before  must  be  rrfainly  depended 
upon  for  increased  legislative  appropriations. 

In  America  the  condition  of  the  public  highways  is  the 
"best  index  of  the  community's  intelligence  and  progressive- 
ness.  This  need  not  be  so  true  of  a  French  or  German 
community,  because  European  road  improvements  are  not 
so  much  dependent  upon  a  popular  vote  as  upon  the  plans 
of  an  expert  board.  Again,  such  communities  have  always 
been  accustomed  to  high-class  roads,  while  we  unfortunately 
have  always  been  accustomed  to  makeshift  methods  of  road 
construction.  Different  environments  thus  determine  and 
fix  our  ideals.  In  a  real  democracy  like  America  it  is  futile 
to  attempt  efficiency  by  bureaucratic  methods,  however  de- 
sirable such  a  short  cut  might  be.  Instead,  we  must  face 
the  problem  of  how  to  stimulate  the  growth  of  road  ideals 
among  our  people.  In  such  a  democracy  as  ours,  the  plan 
most  certain  of  success  is  one  which  employs  evolution 
rather  than  revolution,  and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
revolution,  if  possible,  would  often  effect  the  greatest  sav- 
ing by  eliminating  transitional  stages  of  development.  While 
we  cannot  rise  to  the  plane  of  efficiency  secured  by  bureau- 
cratic governments,  state  highway  departments  can  greatly 
improve  present  road  conditions  by  maintaining  a  standard 
of  road  construction  abreast  of  the  most  progressive  rather 
than  the  average  ideals  of  the  community.  The  state  would 
thus  be  a  leader  rather  than  a  follower  of  public  opinion. 
The  wisdom  of  this  policy  has  been  questioned  in  the  recent 
Chicago  Road  Congress  as  likely  to  estrange  popular  sym- 
pathy and  support.  Such  a  conclusion  seems  to  the  writer 
quite  unwarranted.  For  if,  in  deference  to  a  popular  clamor, 
officials  yield  their  own  expert  ideals  as  to  the  proper  mate- 
rial or  methods  of  construction,  a  short-lived  and  unsatis- 
factory road  is  certain  to  result.  In  the  end  both  the  high- 
way officials  and  the  general  community  will  be  disappointed 
by  the  rapid  failure  of  the  road.  If  the  commission  insists 
upon  the  proper  specifications,  while  the  community  may  be 
temporarily  disgruntled,  the  actual  service  secured  by  a 
suitable  government  is  certain  to  win  the  approval  of  all 
the  patrons  of  the  highway  in  question.  The  community 
has  thereby  been  spared  an  expensive  failure,  which  would 
have  alienated  the  support  of  the  entire  community  from 
the  good  roads  program. 

Most  of  us  will  agree  that  such  a  road  has  served  a  most 
valuable  "object  lesson."  There  have  been  altogether  too- 
many  object  lesson  state  roads  constructed  of  unsuitable 
materials  or  following  unscientific  constructional  methods^ 
all  in  deference  to  the  wishes  of  local  officials.  The  states 
which  have  only  recently  entered  the  road  building  move- 
ment should  be  able  to  learn  from  the  sad  experience  of 


164  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

some  older  eastern  states.  This  experience  has  been  ex- 
tremely expensive  to  the  states  concerned  and  the  entire 
country  can  well  profit  by  it.  It  is  disappointing  to  find 
some  states  taking  up  the  road  question  quite  independently 
of  the  experience  of  older  sister  states. 

In  connection  with  the  object  lesson  road  building  of  the 
several  states  and  also  to  some  extent  in  the  so-called  ex- 
perimental roads  constructed  in  whole  or  in  part  with  state 
funds  it  seems  that  -more  cooperation  between  the  states 
would  result  in  conserving  road  funds.  At  the  present  time 
much  needless  duplication  of  experiments  and  printed  reports 
exists.  Is  not  this  matter  of  sufficient  importance  to  deserve 
thorough  discussion? 

In  no  feature  of  highway  work  do  our  people  stand  in 
so  great  need  of  instruction  and  education  as  in  the  impor- 
tance— nay,  the  absolute  necessity — of  adequate  and  syste- 
matic maintenance.  Countless  townships  and  municipalities 
are  very  backward  in  voting  funds  for  maintenance.  Cen- 
turies of  experience  have  taught  the  European  taxpayers  that 
the  time  to  begin  the  repair  of  a  road  is  the  day  after  its 
construction  is  completed.  In  America,  too  generally,  we 
put  off  the  repair  of  our  roads  until  the  day  after  they  are 
worn  out.  As  a  result,  European  roads  are  well  maintained 
and  long-lived  while  American  roads  are  relatively  rough 
and  short-lived.  Failure  to  give  attention  to  this  important 
need  has  caused  a  very  serious  financial  condition  with  refer- 
ence to  future  highway  improvements.  Money  which  is 
needed  for  the  construction  of  new  streets  and  highways 
in  growing  communities  is  required  now  for  the  improve- 
ment of  older  highways  under  circumstances  such  that,  had 
proper  attention  been  paid  to  their  maintenance,  replace- 
ments would  not  now  be  necessary.  In  no  other  construc- 
tion does  the  old  adage  of  "A  stitch  in  time  saves  nine" 
apply  more  aptly  than  in  road  repair.  After  a  state  has 
improved  a  thousand  or  so  miles  of  roads,  this  subject  of 
maintenance  will  impress  our  taxpayers. 

Real  efficiency,  however,  requires  that  they  realize  the 
great  importance  of  maintenance  from  the  very  beginning 
of  the  highway  improvement  program.  Education  of  the 
public  is  the  only  way  to  bring  this  about,  and  the  state 
highway  departments  should  take  a  most  active  part  in  this 
propaganda. 

It  will  be  fatal  to  leave  this  matter  in  the  hands  of  the 
local  officials,  or  even  county  officials.  The  state  should 
lead  the  way.  The  greatest  efficiency  and  continuity  of 
management  of  our  roads  will  be  promoted  by  placing  the 
maintenance  of  all  state  and  main  trunk  roads  in  the  hands 
of  the  state  highway  department,  where  it  should  be,  out- 
side of  the  influence  of  petty  township  or  county  politicians. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  165 

What  can  be  more  logical  than  the  belief  that  the  same 
authority  which  designs  and  constructs  our  roads  will  also 
be  the  most  competent  authority  to  be  charged  with  their 
maintenance!  Can  we  not  all  agree  that  in  no  better  way 
can  state  highway  departments  spend  their  funds  and  their 
energies  than  in  teaching  our  citizens  the  meaning  of  road 
maintenance? 

A  question  sure  to  arise  is,  How  can  we  get  the  neces- 
sary maintenance  funds?  The  writer  will  only  touch  briefly 
one  phase  of  this  question.  He  believes  in  an  adequate  auto- 
mobile and  wheel  tax.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  heavy  trucks, 
powerful  and  fast  moving  automobiles  and  heavily-laden 
narrow  steel-tired  wagons  are  responsible  for  a  large  part 
of  this  excessive  cost  of  road  maintenance.  In  all  justice 
to  the  taxpayer  these  classes  of  vehicles  should  be  made 
to  contribute  to  the  state  maintenance  fund  in  proportion 
to  the  damage  they  do  to  the  roads.  This  principle,  in  fact, 
has  long  been  recognized  and  acted  upon  in  Europe. 

Instead  of  a  flat  sum,  often  as  insignificant  as  five  dollars, 
our  license  fees  for  self-propelled  vehicles  should  be  made 
proportional  to  the  weight  or  horsepower  of  the  vehicle. 
While  the  size  of  the  license  fees  abroad  seems  excessive 
to  us,  very  much  smaller  fees  would  suffice  to  create  an  ade- 
quate maintenance  fund.  Such  a  tax  can  be  justified  not 
only  on  the  basis  of  damage  done  to  the  road,  but  also  as 
coming  from  a  class  to  which  such  a  tax  would  be  far  from 
a  burden. 

Automobilists  everywhere  have  shown  a  willingness  to 
pay  any  reasonable  license  fee  whenever  they  could  be  as- 
sured that  such  funds  would  be  wisely  spent  on  the  upkeep 
of  the  roads.  A  wise  administration  of  license  fee  funds  by 
state  highway  departments  must  have  a  great  educational 
value  by  demonstrating  to  town,  county  and  city  authorities 
the  great  economic  importance  of  road  maintenance. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  growing  abuse  of  our  roads 
by  traction  engines  and  by  the  use  of  roads  by  trucks  ex- 
cessively laden  and  at  excessive  speeds.  This  is  due  to 
the  too  common  belief  in  America  that  because  it  is  a  pub- 
lic highway  an  individual  may  abuse  a  road  surface  as  his 
natural  right,  even  if  such  abuse  results  in  denying  the  use 
of  the  road  to  others.  Where  these  views  are  commonly 
held  it  is  very  difficult  to  secure  remedial  legislation.  It 
seems  to  the  writer  that  state  highway  departments  may 
well  devote  some  attention  to  educating  the  public  on  this 
subject  by  distributing  suitable  bulletins  and  by  any  other 
means  of  securing  wide  publicity.  Indeed,  some  state  de- 
partments have  already  rendered  most  valuable  services  in 
such  an  educational  propaganda  and  can  now  point  to  effec- 
tive regulative  legislation  as  a  result  of  their  efforts.  .  We 


166  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

may  well  look  forward  to  the  near  future,  when  such  activ- 
ities may  be  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception. 

To  sum  up  the  preceding  outline,  we  note  that  the  educa- 
tional field  for  state  highway  departments  includes  the  teach- 
ing and  preaching,  in  season  and  out,  of  the  paramount 
importance  of: 

1.  A    scientific    selection    and    design    for    each    highway 
improvement. 

2.  A    scientific    construction    secured    by    competent    and 
thorough  inspection  of  all  the  many  details. 

3.  A  scientific  maintenance  of  all  state  roads  by  a  central 
authority. 

At  no  time  in  our  history  has  any  single  state  depart- 
ment possessed  such  remarkable  and  important  opportunities 
for  service  to  our  commonwealths  as  do  our  several  state 
highway  departments.  In  congratulating  them  upon  this 
opportunity,  the  writer  wishes  to  express  his  firm  belief 
that  they  will  educate  and  lead,  rather  than  follow,  the 
public  opinion  in  their  respective  commonwealths. 


CHAIRMAN  ALBERT:  The  discussion  of  this  paper 
will  be  opened  by  Mr.  A.  D.  Williams,  chief  road  engineer  of 
West  Virginia. 


Discussion  by  A.  D.  Williams 

When  we  look  over  the  pages  of  history  we  see  occasion- 
ally a  person  who  has  towered  above  the  people  of  his  day, 
but,  being  before  his  time  and  living  and  moving  on  a  plane 
of  life  different  from  those  with  whom  he  was  associated,  has 
not  produced  the  maximum  fruition  owing  to  the  lack  of 
support  and  cooperation. 

This  is  true  of  those  leading  the  highway  movement  in  the 
past.  Years  before  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  Era  a  ray 
of  progress  burst  forth  from  the  Valley  of  the  Nile  and  a 
mere  spot  on  history  tells  us  that  King  Cheops  was  a  road 
builder.  Nothing  more  is  known  of  this  work  but  the  in- 
fluence. Carthage  caught  the  spark,  lit  the  new  light  and 
passed  it  on  to  Babylon  and  to  Rome.  The  Roman  develop- 
ment centered  around  one  man  with  whose  death  the  pro- 
gress seemed  to  stop.  Tresaguet,  Telford  and  McAdam 
have  added  their  mite  and  passed  from  the  stage  of  action. 
They  labored  so  as  to  leave  the  world  a  true  legacy.  Yet, 
the  things  that  were  suitable  to  their  day  and  age  are  not 
adaptable  to  our  time  and  conditions.  Methods  and  means 
of  transportation  have  so  changed  as  to  make  the  problem 
of  the  highway  one  of  the  biggest,  most  complicated  and 
difficult  that  confronts  the  people  of  this  day  and  age.  It 
has  more  angles  and  effects  more  avenues  of  life  than  any 
other  social,  economic  or  scientific  question.  The  advance- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  167 

ment  of  civilization,  the  spread  of  commercial  influence,  the 
religious,  intellectual,  commercial  and  home  life,  the  comfort 
and  happiness  of  our  people  are  alike  dependent  on  the  im- 
provement of  our  highways. 

The  road  is  the  connecting  link  between  the  industrial 
center  and  the  material  producing  community.  It  is  the 
greatest  factor  in  the  cost  of  living — a  question  that  concerns 
all.  Yet,  with  all  this  importance  attached  to  it  we  have,  as 
a  whole  people,  until  just  recently,  given  the  highway  prob- 
lem only  passing  notice.  We  have  believed  that  any  one 
could  build  a  road.  The  problem  has  not  been  considered, 
in  many  places  and  by  many,  a  scientific  engineering  question, 
because  the  masses  have  been  trained  to  think  that  the  time- 
worn  method  of  remembering  the  boys  that  deliver  the  votes 
with  a  job  on  the  road,  was  right  and  that  merit  stood  for 
nothing.  Many  people  feel  that  money  expended  in  engin- 
eering is  wasted  because  they  cannot  see  what  the  engineer 
saves  and  time  has  not  told  the  worth  of  durability  in  con- 
struction. This  is  due  to  the  engineers  themselves.  They 
have  been  trained  to  stand  aloof  from  the  people  and  keep 
their  work  a  secret  in  the  interest  of  their  employer.  They 
have  met  with  railroad  and  other  industrial  officials  to  talk 
over  and  assist  in  solving  their  problems.  These  concerns 
have  learned  the  need  of  engineers  and  the  public  here  recog- 
nizes their  usefulness  in  this  field,  but  the  highway  that  re- 
quires all  the  skill  and  ability  of  the  railroad  engineer  and 
much  more  has  been  used  as  a  covering  for  the  local  political 
football. 

The  engineers  have  not  taken  the  public  into  their  confi- 
dence, but  have  worked  on  the  high  plane  of  science  and 
culture.  This  is  to  their  credit,  but  they  are  now  confronted 
by  the  greatest  question  of  the  age  and  they  must  solve  it. 
It  belongs  to  their  field.  Other  professional  men  have  a  place 
in  the  solution  of  the  question,  but  in  this  field  the  engineers 
must  lead,  and  so  lead  as  to  bring  with  them  the  support  and 
cooperation  of  all  the  people.  The  engineer  may  be  the 
best  that  can  be  found,  but  in  a  measure  he  is  helpless  with- 
out the  support  of  the  community  and  the  body  for  which  he 
is  working;  therefore,  the  greatest  question  that  confronts 
the  people  who  are  trying  to  develop  an  effective  highway 
system  for  the  country  is  that  of  establishing  in  the  public 
heart  and  mfnd  a  realization  of  the  actual  cost,  the  great 
economic  drain,  and  social  disadvantage  of  bad  roads  com- 
pared to  the  saving  and  other  advantages  of  improved  roads, 
the  great  loss  of  a  hap-hazard,  headless  and  fruitless  road 
plan  compared  to  a  systematized,  organized  and  scientifically 
arranged  and  managed  road  program. 

The  field  of  the  highway  engineer  is  a  big  one;  so  big  that 
it  is  far  from  being  explored.  The  scientific  questions  call 
for  years  of  labor  and  research.  The  sociological  side  calls 


168  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

for  the  highest  culture  and  greatest  diplomatic  talent  avail- 
able. The  administrative  work  demands  the  best  financial, 
commercial  and  business  ability  obtainable.  To  get  good 
roads  with  the  available  material  and  funds — roads  that  will 
render  a  maximum  of  efficiency  with  a  minimum  of  burden  to 
the  community;  to  know  the  materials  within  each  community 
and  to  show  the  people  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of 
their  use;  to  ascertain  the  needs  of  each  community  and 
help  devise  a  system  of  roads  that  will  meet  the  needs  without 
producing  a  burden  on  the  taxpayers;  to  construct  the  roads 
so  that  they  will  be  an  investment  to  each  community;  to 
instill  into  the  minds  of  the  people  the  need  of  a  knowledge 
of  road  materials  and  the  need  of  the  service  of  a  man  that 
has  such  knowledge,  so  that  they  will  get  a  dollar's  worth 
of  service  for  each  dollar  expended;  to  impress  upon  the  en- 
gineers and  the  public  the  importance  of  a  traffic  census;  to 
start  and  assist  local  officials  in  studying  the  road  problems, 
are  parts  of  the  educational  field  of  a  highway  department. 

In  West  Virginia,  which  was  the  first  state  of  the  Union 
by  legislative  enactment  to  require  its  road  department  to 
be  a  part  of  its  university,  and  to  attach  importance  to  the 
educational  side  of  the  work,  we  have  demonstrated  the  im- 
portance of  the  work  and  the  worth  of  the  effort.  We  have 
more  problems  considering  our  area  than  any  other  state. 
The  varied  topographical,  geological  and  climatic  condi- 
tions present  every  phase  of  the  road  question,  but  with  all 
these  difficulties  we  are  making  progress  of  which  we  are 
proud  and  which  must  be  credited  to  the  educational  work 
we  are  doing. 

The  first  road  school  was  attended  by  150  engineers,  road 
supervisors,  members  of  courts  and  persons  interested  in 
road  improvement.  Our  second  school  was  attended  by  153 
persons  of  like  positions.  A  trip  over  West  Virginia  will 
reveal  that  the  persons  attending  these  schools  have  im- 
proved the  earth  roads  of  the  state  in  every  community 
represented,  and  the  road  funds  for  1915-16  will  be  more 
than  six  times  the  amount  for  1913-14.  The  standard  of  our 
bridges  has  been  greatly  improved  and  the  people  of  the 
whole  state  are  awake  to  their  needs  so  much  so  that  we 
are  taxed  to  our  limits  to  meet  the  demands  with  the  funds 
at  the  command  of  our  department.  So  successful  has  been 
our  movement  since  placing  emphasis  on  the  educational 
side  of  the  work  that  more  road  of  a  permanent  and  im- 
proved type  has  been  constructed  or  provided  for  during  the 
past  two  years  than  in  the  preceding  forty  years.  Our 
experience  proves  conclusively  that  the  success  of  high- 
way development  depends  upon  our  educational  advancement 
on  every  avenue  of  the  highway  problem. 

rPhe  public  is  being  educated  to  recognize  the  importance 
of  the  trained  engineer  and  his  work,  and  this  is  placing  upon 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  169 

the  shoulders  of  the  engineers  of  the  country  the  burden  of 
the  highway  movement  to  which  they  must  be  equal  or  they 
will  be  credited  with  its  failure,  and  if  failure  comes  now 
it  will  be  costly  to  the  community,  the  state  and  nation.  We 
must  not  fail.  We  cannot  fail.  We  shall  not  fail  if  we  pre- 
pare for  the  duty  that  confronts  us.  We  must  put  forth  our 
best  efforts  and  acquire  the  broadest  possible  training. 

Engineers  for  highway  work  must  be  especially  trained 
in  the  uses  of  materials,  the  effect  of  climate  on  materials, 
and  the  importance  of  proper  inspection  and  investigation 
of  all  work  and  materials  that  enter  into  the  work.  This 
training  should  be  in  a  department  laboratory,  office  and 
field  work  after  a  regular  engineering  course  is  acquired 
and  should  be  before  the  young  engineer  is  placed  out  upon, 
work  or  permitted  to  prepare  specifications.  Much  depends 
upon  the  emphasis  of  this  thought  in  our  future  educational 
work  with  highway  engineers. 

The  question  of  grades,  location,  alignment  and  many 
other  important  items  in  the  successful  highway  system  are 
problems  for  the  educational  field-of  the  highway  departments 
after  the  young  engineer  has  pocketed  his  certificate  of  theory 
from  the  college  of  engineering.  The  practical  side  of  high- 
way construction  and  maintenance  is  a  part  of  the  educational 
field  of  the  highway  department.  The  field  is  unlimited. 

CHAIRMAN  ALBERT:  There  are  so  many  engineers 
present  that  Mr.  Williams'  paper  certainly  deserves  some 
notice;  perhaps  not  criticism,  but  commendation  and  re- 
marks that  are  appropriate  on  the  subject. 

MR.  EDDY:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  do  not  like  to  detain  the 
Congress,  but  I  do  wish  to  commend  the  paper  just  read.  I 
think  it  is  right  from  beginning  to  end.  I  think  it  is  one 
of  the  most  useful  documents  that  has  been  presented  to  this 
congress  so  far  as  I  know.  There  is  one  thing  which  I 
think  has  been  neglected.  Human  nature  is  the  same  every- 
where. I  have  had  some  experience  in  New  York,  Michi- 
gan, Illinois  and  a  great  deal  in  California,  and  I  find  every- 
where that  when  the  truth  is  persistently  placed  before  the 
people  there  always  is  the  sentiment  that  they  want  to  be 
shown,  and  when  they  are  shown  what  is  desired  in  road  work 
they  will  come  to  the  front  and  vote  the  money  that  is 
necessary  to  employ  the  engineer  to  improve  the  road  and 
build  good  roads.  (Applause.) 

MR.  SUGGS:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  want  to  endorse  the  paper 
read  by  Mr.  Williams.  I  am  not  an  engineer — yet  I  am,  too. 
That  was  discussed  by  the  Legislature  of  my  state,  whether 
I  was  an  engineer  or  not,  when  I  held  the  position  of  state 
highway  commissioner.  I  told  them  that  I  had  carried  the 
chain  and  surveyed  on  the  International  and  Great  Northern 
railroad  and  had  drawn  pay  on  it.  While  I  didn't  hold  an 
\ 


170  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

engineer's  certificate  I  had  sold  saw-mills  and  cotton  gins 
and  I  was  good  enough  an  engineer  so  I  could  put  them  up 
and  show  the  other  fellows  how  to  run  them.  I  had  also 
engineered  three  or  four  men  into  office.  (Laughter.)  For 
those  reasons  I  was  an  engineer. 

I  talked  to  thirty-three  hundred  township  trustees  on  this 
subject.  'About  a  hundred  of  them  disagreed  with  me.  The 
others  didn't  say  anything,  but  the  ones  that  did  disagree 
wrote  one  hundred  and  fifty  letters  each  to  the  Legislature 
stating  that  they  did  not  need  an  engineer.  Well,  those 
township  trustees  have  all  about  gone  out  of  business  in 
Oklahoma.  Then  we  had  seven  thousand  five  hundred  road 
overseers.  They  had  seventy-five  hundred  different  ideas 
about  how  to  build  a  road.  It  was  a  hard  matter  to  get 
those  men  to  work  together.  But  I  don't  give  up  and  lay 
down  on  a  proposition  as  quick  as  some  men  do.  I  want 
to  tell  you  it  took  all  the  nerve  I  had  to  stand  up  and  con- 
tend for  our  rights  along  that  line.  We  spent  twenty  mil- 
lion dollars  in  Oklahoma  for  roads,  and  over  sixty  per  cent, 
of  the  money  thus  spent  went  for  salaries  of  incompetent 
men.  I  wanted  an  engineer.  I  told  them  they  had  to  have 
an  engineer.  If  you  are  going  to  borrow  money  on  a  rail- 
road proposition  if  you  don't  make  plans  and  specifications, 
profiles,  and  estimated  costs  the  broker  is  not  going  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  your  bonds,  and  we  can't  hope  to  get 
money  without  knowing  something  about  what  is  going  to 
be  done  with  it.  For  that  reason  I  contended  that  we  must 
have  an  engineer  to  go  and  lay  out  the  road  along  the  lines 
of  least  resistance,  avoiding  springy  places,  impossible 
grades  and  so  on. 

There  are  three  classes  of  men  that  have  been  opposed  to 
employing  an  engineer;  the  men  that  manufacture  these  tin- 
whistle  culverts,  the  men  that  sold  them  and  a  few  that 
bought  them.  They  all  seemed  to  be  interested  in  the  con- 
struction of  roads.  For  years  at  good  roads  conventions  I 
got  in  kind  of  bad  when  I  talked  about  the  tin-whistle  cul- 
verts and  the  toy-tools  that  were  being  sold.  They  didn't 
like  it,  but  after  a  while  we  got  the  Legislature  to  listen  and 
now  we  have  a  law.  This  last  Legislature  passed  a  law  re- 
quiring an  engineer  to  make  plans  and  specifications,  profiles 
and  estimated  costs,  giving  the  grade,  the  width,  and  show- 
ing the  size  and  location  of  openings  and  the  kind  of  mate- 
rial. A  bridge  that  won't  carry  one  hundred  and  twenty 
pounds  to  the  square  foot  don't  go  in  any  more  in  Okla- 
homa. You  go  to  the  man  of  today  and  he  will  say,  "Why 
that  is  a  good  thing,  but  what  is  in  it  for  me."  The  man 
of  today  will  ask  that  question,  "What  do  I  get  out  of  it?" 
Go  to  a  man  of  yesterday  and  he  will  say,  "Well,  I  paid  my 
taxes  always,  I  have  done  my  duty  and  don't  worry  me 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  171 

about  the  road  business."  So  I  want  to  say,  Mr.  Williams, 
when  you  come  down  in  Oklahoma  you  are  going  to  have  the 
boys  in  the  rural  schools  to  demand  that  they  have  their 
road  properly  surveyed.  It  is  as  carefully  surveyed  as  a 
railroad  because  we  have  got  that  system  started  down  in 
that  country.  One  county  down  there  undertook  to  build 
fcrty  miles  of  road  this  last  winter  and  spring.  The  boys 
and  girls  of  the  different  schools  were  to  build  that  road. 
They  actually  completed  sixteen  miles. 

Those  boys  went  out  there  and  had  an  engineer  to  go  with 
them.  The  boys  made  the  stakes  and  cut  them  and  fixed 
them  to  drive  according  to  the  engineer's  direction.  I  can 
take  fifteen  or  twenty  good  boys  and  about  a  dozen  girls  and 
go  before  ?.ny  county  commissioners  and  I  will  make  them 
come  around  to  my  ideas.  They  are  building  educational 
miles  of  road.  I  am  doing  that  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
it  established  as  early  as  possible  because  the  men  of  yes- 
terday and  the  men  of  today  are  too  busy.  I  am  appealing 
to  the  men  of  tomorrow. 

When  some  men  go  to  the  Legislature  they  want  to  be 
brought  into  some  third  house  and  entertained  by  some 
road  material  man  or  road  implement  man,  some  one  of 
that  sort,  to  learn  how  to  write  a  road  law. 

There  is  one  county  over  there  in  Oklahoma  where  you 
can't  get  a  job  as  a  teacher  unless  you  agree  to  build  a  mile 
of  educational  road.  In  Stevens  county  they  get  a  premium 
of  one  hundred  dollars,  fifty  dollars  to  the  best  mile,  thirty 
dollars  to  the  next,  and  twenty  dollars  to  the  next.  All  the 
teachers  in  the  rural  schools  undertake  to  build  these  roads. 
We  had  a  great,  big  picnic  and  barbecue.  I  made  a  big 
speech.  I  made  the  biggest  kind  of  a  speech,  and  you  know 
why  I  made  it?  A  girl  teacher  in  one  of  the  common  schools 
built  the  premium  mile  road.  I  says,  "I  am  afraid  for  my 
wife  to  know  how  much  I  think  of  you."  But  I  was  proud 
of  her.  She  got  a  man  to  help  her  that  was  a  progressive 
kind  of  a  fellow,  a  commonsense  fellow,  and  he  went  after 
the  plans  of  the  engineer  and  she  went  and  raised  the  means. 
When  the  prizes  were  awarded  that  little  teacher  carried  off 
the  prize.  I  was  just  so  proud  of  her  I  didn't  know  what 
to  do. 

The  boys  take  an  interest  in  that  thing  over  there.  When 
the  boys  were  organizing  I  told  them  to  not  put  in  a  weak- 
ling as  a  president  of  the  good  roads  movement.  I  told 
them  to  put  in  the  captain  of  a  baseball  club  or  the  football 
team  as  the  man  for  the  president  of  the  good  roads  Associa- 
tion. The  boys  go  out  and  set  the  stakes  according  to  the 
engineer's  plans,  find  out  what  the  grade  is,  find  out  where  to 
put  the  culverts,  have  a  man  there  to  show  them  how  to  mix 
the  concrete,  show  them  the  proportions.  They  do  the  work 


172  PA1ST-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

themselves.  When  the  road  is  completed  the  girls  set  out 
trees  for  the  boys.  They  plant  trees  along  those  roads.  In 
a  few  years  they  will  be  able  to  say  that  we  planted  those 
trees,  we  planted  this  tree  and  that.  We  are  educating  the 
boys  and  girls  to  the  road^proposition  along  those  lines  in 
Oklahoma  and  I  believe  engineers  will  agree  with  the  plan. 
If  a  man  opposes  that  plan  in  my  state  I  ask  him  if  he 
hasn't  got  icicles  around  his  heart.  The  man  who  opposes 
it  is  worse  than  the  infidel.  I  will  prove  it  and  I  do  prove 
it  down  there.  Now  then,  the  Bible  says,  "He  that  provideth 
not  for  his  family  is  worse  than  an  infidel."  I  believe  it. 
That  means  homes,  books,  music,  flowers,  sunshine  and  such 
things,  as  God  Almighty  intended  for  his  children  to  enjoy 
-in  this  world.  This  is  what  good  roads  mean.  It  means 
homes. 

A  boy  can't  go  today  and  buy  a  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
acre  farm,  can't  go  and  buy  five  hundred  acres,  he  is  not  able 
to,  but  you  put  the  ro.ads  out  there  in  the  country  and  give 
him  the  opportunity  to  buy  ten  acres  and  he  has  got  a  home, 
a  home  that  will  make  him  independent.  I  don't  mean  that 
he  should  be  given  that  home.  When  they  start  to  build 
those  roads  then  the  next  thing,  let  the  father  give  the  boy 
a  calf  and  let  the  girls  be  given  some  chickens.  She  becomes 
interested  in  animal  life.  She  raises  her  little  chickens  and 
vegetables.  She  plants  her  fruit  trees  and  vines  and  flowers 
and  becomes  interested  in  her  home.  Give  the  boy  a  pig  or 
a  colt  and  let  him  take  care  of  it  and  it  is  his  and  he  won't 
want  to  leave  home.  He  has  got  an  interest  there.  Sell 
that  boy  a  part  of  your  land.  You  can't  make  a  living  on  it 
unless  you  have  a  road  to  haul  your  produce  to  market.  A 
man  that  will  give  his  boy  a  sick  pig  and  let  him  raise  it 
and  make  a  good,  big  hog;  a  weakling  calf,  and  make  a 
good,  big  cow,  and  then  take  it  away  from  him  is  the  worst 
stealer  on  earth.  A  man  that  will  do  that  will  steal  any- 
thing. I  say  give  it  to  him  and  let  him  become  interested 
in  his  home,  keep  him  in  the  country.  You  can't  raise  a 
first-class  boy  on  a  twenty-five-foot  lot  any  more  than  you 
can  raise  a  first-class  woman  in  a  five-story  brick  building 
or  a  rooming  house.  They  don't  grow  right.  They  are  not 
the  good  people  like  they  are  when  raised  in  God's  pure  air. 
(Laughter.)  I  don't  know  how  you  people  are.  I  am  glad 
the  crowd  isn't  so  big.  I  would  rather  talk  to  a  dozen  in- 
terested people  than  four  hundred  curiosity  seekers,  don't 
you  see,  because  it  has  more  effect.  I  want  you  people — 
if  you  endorse  this  sort  of  work,  believe  in  this  sort  of  work 
— to  start  it  in  your  homes  and  let  us  carry  that  word  all 
ever  this  country.  I  think  you  ought  to  be  interested  just 
as  much  as  I  am.  It  is  as  much  your  business  as  it  is  mine 
and  I  want  every  man  to  feel  that  way. 


PAN-.AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  173 

Now  there  is  one  thing  that  I  advocate  that  I  find  some 
opposition  to,  and  that  is  a  system.  I  believe  that  the  gov- 
ernment ought  to  build,  own,  and  maintain  a  system  of  high- 
ways. (Applause.)  The  government  ought  to  own  it  just 
like  it  owns  the  Panama  canal,  rivers  and  harbors  or  any- 
thing else.  There  are  men  who  oppose  that,  but  you  let  the 
government  do  that  and  it  will  relieve  the  state,  county  and 
township  of  that  burden.  It  will  be  one  of  -the  greatest 
assets  the  government  ever  had.  It  will  set  the  example 
which  the  states  will  follow.  There  won't  be  any  question 
then  about  how  wide  you  are  going  to  build  that  road. 
The  counties  and  the  states  will  arrange  to  build  the  laterals 
into  those  national  highways.  You  build  a  federal  road 
across  Oklahoma  and  every  county  in  that  state  will  build 
laterals  to  that  road.  The  state  can't  build  them  without 
going  through  townships.  Are  you  going  to  relieve  that 
county  burden?  Let  the  county  build  laterals  into  the  state 
roads  or  the  national  roads  as  it  may  be,  and  then  what 
money  the  township  raises  will  be  to  build  laterals.  The 
government  will  set  the  example  and  then  the  state  will 
follow  and  the  county  will  follow  and  the  township  will 
follow  and  it  will  be  a  system  that  you  can't  break.  Five 
hundred  million  dollars  for  opening  fifty  miles  of  water 
highway?  Why  not  spend  a  billion  dollars  and  open  a 
hundred  thousand  miles  of  road  and  serve  the  people  of 
the  states?  Have  you  any  objection  to  it?  Keep  politics 
out  of  it.  Keep  politics  out  of  it  just  like  you  keep  politics 
out  of  your  schools.  I  believe  it  is  the  only  way  it  can  be 
done.  I  know  some  don't  agree  with  me  about  that,  but, 
gentlemen,  it  is  coming.  That  time  is  coming  when  there 
will  be  such  a  system.  Those  systems  will  be  taken  up. 
The  government  will  set  a  good  example,  the  state  will  fol- 
low, the  county  will  follow  that  example  and  it  will  be  an 
asset,  one  of  the  greatest  assets  the  government  will  have. 
It  will  be  one  of  the  greatest  assets  the  state  can  have.  It 
will  be  one  of  the  greatest  as-sets  the  county  can  have,  be- 
cause it  will  open  this  country  and  give  the  American  boys 
and  girls  an  opportunity  to  buy  their  own  homes.  I  am  not 
excited  about  it,  but  I  am  just  in  earnest.  If  you  don't  do 
it  in  fifty  years  from  today  this  country  will  be  owned  by 
foreign  landlords  and  our  brave  American  boys  and  girls 
will  be  tenants. 

I  believe  that  this  work  is  going  on.  I  think  all  we  have- 
got  to  do  is  to  work  in  harmony.  I  am  going  to  keep  right 
en  this  line  and  I  am  going  to  pledge  myself  to  this  congress 
and  every  other  one,  that  we  will  keep  on  working  as  best 
we  can. 

CHAIRMAN  ALBERT:  Is  there  anyone  present  who 
wishes  to  discuss  this  question  further?  If  not,  the  meet- 


174  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS; 

ing   will    stand    adjourned    until    tomorrow    morning    at    ten 
o'clock. 

The    meeting   then    adjourned    until    Wednesday   morning, 
September  15,  1915,  at  ten  o'clock. 


TUESDAY  EVENING  BANQUET 

A  banquet  was  given  at  the  Hotel  Oakland  Tuesday  eve- 
ning, under  the  auspices  of  the  Pan-American  Road  Con- 
gress, in  honor  of  the  distinguished  guests  of  the  congress. 
At  the  request  of  Acting  Chairman  MacDonald  of  the  Exec- 
utive Committee,  Charles  F.  Stern,  member  of  the  Califor- 
nia Highway  Commission,  acted  as  toastmaster.  Among 
those  who  were  called  on  for  remarks  were  Joseph  E.  Caine, 
of  the  Oakland  Commercial  Club;  George  W.  Tillson,  of 
Brooklyn;  Samuel  Hill,  of  Maryhill,  Wash.;  Col.  W.  D. 
Sohier,  of  Massachusetts;  Walter  Coggeshall,  of  California; 
J.  H.  King,  of  the  Oakland  Commercial  Club,  and  U.  D. 
Darlington,  of  the  California  Highway  Commission.  Music 
was  furnished  by  professional  singers. 


FOURTH    SESSION 
Wednesday   Morning,    September   15 

JAMES  H.  MACDONALD:  We  are  going  to  try  and 
commence  this  session  promptly  this  morning.  I  notice 
that  the  interest  is  assuming  a  little  more  definite  proportions 
now.  I  see  the  ladies  are  coming  to  join  us.  By  and  by  we 
will  have  this  whole  place  filled.  *  Before  I  introduce  the  gen- 
tleman who  is  to  preside  over  our  deliberations  this  morning 
perhaps  I  ought  to  make  a  little  explanation.  The  pro- 
ceedings are  only  available  after  the  session  closes,  the 
printed  proceedings,  one  of  the  most  valuable  documents  that 
will  perhaps  be  issued  in  regard  to  this  great  movement  in 
this  country.  The  proceedings  will  only  be  available  to 
members  in  good  standing  of  the  American  Highway  Asso- 
ciation and  the  American  Road  Builders'  Association,  and 
those  who  pay  two  dollars  for  temporary  membership.  It  is 
obvious  to  all  you  gentlemen  that  we  could  hardly  place  the 
obligation  and  the  expense  upon  either  association,  and  so 
we  have  placed  at  the  moderate  sum  of  two  dollars  the  privi- 
lege of  securing  the  proceedings.  Now  we  have  outside  some 
ladies  who  have  these  temporary  membership  cards.  Your 
name  is  placed  on  the  card  and  we  take  your  name  and  ad- 
dress from  the  card  and  send  to  you  the  proceedings  when 
printed.  I  thought  perhaps  you  would  like  to  know  that. 

I  take  great  pleasure  in  introducing  to  you  this  morning  a 
gentleman  who  is  widely  known  in  his  own  state  for  the  dis- 
interested service  he  renders.  He  is  a  member  of  that  splen- 
did commission  having  charge  of  the  highway  improvement 


PAN- AMERICAN   ROAD  CONGRESS  175 

in  the  state  of  Illinois.  Mr.  Gash  has  been  for  several  years 
serving  in  that  position.  I  know  you  will  be  glad  to  know 
that  he  will  preside  over  the  deliberations  of  the  session  this 
morning.  I  have  great  pleasure  in  presenting  Mr.  Gash  to 
the  convention.  (Applause.) 

(A.  D.  Gash  then  took  the  chair.) 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:  It  is  indeed  a  pleasure  to  me  to 
preside  over  the  deliberations  of  this  splendid  congress  at 
one  of  its  sessions.  Illinois  is  much  interested  in  good 
roads  and  in  having  our  roads  measure  up  to  the  roads  of 
the  various  states  of  the  Union.  We  have  been  a  little  be- 
hind in  the  past,  but  two  years  ago  last  winter  the  legisla- 
ture passed  one  of  the  best  good  roads  laws  in  the  United 
States  to  my  mind.  We  have  thirty-four  million  acres  of 
land  in  that  state,  we  have  ninety-six  thousand  miles  of  pub- 
lic highways  and  the  percent  of  fifteen  in  counties  of  the 
first  class,  twenty  per  cent,  in  counties  of  the  second  class, 
and  twenty-five  per  cent,  in  counties  of  the  third  class  are 
under  control  of  the  state.  These  have  been  laid  out — and 
maps  made — extending  into  every  community  in  the  state 
and  within  four  miles  and  a  half  of  every  home  where  seven-, 
ty-five  per  cent,  of  our  people  reside.  And  thirty  per  cent, 
will  reside  within  one  mile  of  the  system  of  highways  when 
constructed.  We  have  started  out  intending  at  least  in  the 
next  twenty  years,  if  we  do  not  bond,  to  build  that  system  of 
roads  of  stone,  which,  wTien  completed  together  with,  the 
natural  improvement  that -is  coming  to  the  lateral  roads, 
will  give  Illinois  one  of  the  most  comprehensive  road  sys- 
tems in  the  United  States  of  America  or  in  any  country. 
In  the  language  of  Shakespeare,  "It  is  a  consummation  de- 
voutly to  be  wished,"  to  have  this  system  of  roads  com- 
pleted as  we  have  set  our  ambitions  to  reach. 

Now  this  morning  we  want  to  hurry  through  our  proceed- 
ings and  get  over  to  the  exposition  this  afternoon.  The  de- 
liberations of  this  congress  will  be  at  Festival  Hall  at  two- 
thirty  p.  m.  We  will  be  received  by  the  exposition  officials. 
There  will  be  good  music  and  the  presentation  of  the  medals. 
It  is  urged  that  all  be  on  hand  promptly  at  Festival  Hal! 
to  take  part  in  this  afternoon's  session.  Without  further 
preliminary  talk  we  will  proceed  with  the  business  of  this 
session. 

The  first  thing  on  the  program  is  "Roadway  Surfacing,"  by 
Mr.  F.  F.  Rogers,  State  Highway  Commissioner  of  Michi- 
gan. I  take  pleasure  in  introducing  to  you  Mr.  F.  F.  Rogers, 
who  will  now  address  you.  (Applause.) 

MR.  ROGERS:  Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 
In  preparing  this  paper  I  have  tried  to  keep  in  the  back- 
ground somewhat  any  preferences  I  may  have  for  any  par- 
ticular type  of  roadway  surfacing,  and  have  rather  tried  to 


176  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

present  to  you  what  the  different  states  are  doing  along  the 
different  lines  of  road  improvement;  that  is,  the  different 
kinds  of  materials  that  they  are  using  for  surfaces.  There- 
fore I  sent  out  letters  to  all  of  the  states  which  are  engaged 
in  highway  improvement  and  I  received  answers  from  some 
twenty-five.  In  compiling  these  I  have  tried  to  give  you 
briefly  the  mileage  and  the  percentage  of  miles  of  the  dif- 
ferent classes  of  roads  they  have  built.  This  paper  is  accom- 
panied by  a  blue  print  table  which  shows  this  more  in  detail 
than  it  would  be  possible  for  me  to  cover  in  a  written  paper. 


Roadway   Surfacings 

By  FRANK  F.  ROGERS 

State  Highway  Commissioner  of  Michigan 

It  is  estimated  that  the  United  States  has  2,300,000  miles 
of  public  wagon  roads,  about  10  per  cent,  of  which,  roughly 
speaking,  may  be  said  to  be  improved.  Only  about  1  1-3 
per  cent.,  however,  of  this  mileage  has  been  substantially 
improved  with  state  assistance. 

.  A  good  roadway  must  be  hard,  smooth,  fairly  free  from 
dust  or  mud  and  present  a  reasonable  minimum  of  resistance 
to  the  traffic  which  it  bears,  considering  the  kind  of  ma- 
terials used  in  its  construction.  In  general  a  road  must  be 
satisfactory  to  its  users  before  it  can  be  classed  as  a  good 
road. 

The  materials  available  for  road  surfacing  are: 

1.  Common    earth,    sand    and    clay,    suitably    combined    or 
treated  with  some  other  materials. 

2.  Gravel. 

3.  Crushed  rock  or  other  substitutes  for  macadam  such  as 
slag  from  charcoal  iron  or  blast  furnaces,  the  latter  being 
much  preferable. 

4.  Such  combinations  of  2  and  3  as  may  be  found  advisable, 
a  gravel  base  with  a  macadam  top  or  a  macadam  base  and 
a  gravel  top. 

5.  Bituminous  macadam  (penetration  method). 

6.  Cement    concrete,    using   gravel,    crushed    rock    or   slag 
for  the  coarse  aggregate. 

7.  Bituminous  concrete  (the  mixing  method)  by  using  the 
materials   above   named   for  the   aggregate   and   refined   tars 
or  asphalts  for  the  binder. 

8.  Brick  with  foundations  of  concrete,  water  bonded  mac- 
adam, gravel  or  sand. 

Which  of  the  above  materials  should  be  used  for  a  given 
road  is  a  problem  for  the  road  engineer  to  solve,  and  it  is 
usually  capable  of  an  economic  solution  leaving  the  answer 
beyond  reasonable  doubt.  However,  in  many  cases  available 
funds  limit  the  choice  of  materials  to  those  close  at  hand 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  177 

and  cheapest  in  first  cost  regardless  of  whether  or  not  they 
are  really  the  most  economical,  considering  the  perpetual 
upkeep  of  the  road.  But  often  the  materials  have  to  be 
freighted  from  a  distance,  and  when  the  community  is  rich 
enough  to  build  the  most  serviceable  road,  the  skilled  road 
engineer  can  demonstrate  his  usefulness,  providing  he  has 
persuasive  powers  enough  to  overcome  local  prejudice  for 
or  against  particular  materials  and  the  arguments  of  men 
who  may  wish  to  sell  these  or  other  materials  regardless  of 
their  fitness  for  the  road  in  question. 

The  writer  has  long  preached  the  doctrine  that  there  is 
no  one  best  material  for  road  surfacing  in  all  places  and 
under  all  conditions  of  soil  and  traffic,  and  that  almost 
every  available  road  material  can  be  used  to  advantage  some- 
where in  such  a  comprehensive  system  of  roads  as  is  re- 
quired to  serve  a  state. 

The  accompanying  table  shows  the  mileage  of  state  aid 
roads  of  different  classes  in  twenty-five  states  and  the  per- 
centage of  each  class  now  in  use.  (See  pages  178  and  179.) 

1.  Sand-clay  and  top-soil  roads  comprise  about  ^one-sixth 
of   the   mileage   given    (16.4  per   cent.)    showing   that   these 
roads  are  of  considerable  importance.     They  are  well  adapt- 
ed to  a  medium  horse-drawn  traffic  with  a  somewhat  larger 
percentage   of  automobiles   and   can   be   economically   main- 
tained by  systematic  use  of  the  road  drag  after  rains  and 
the  addition  of  such  new  material,  sand  or  clay,  as  may  be 
required. 

Kansas  reports  758  miles  of  these  roads;  Louisiana,  423 
miles,  and  Connecticut,  318  miles,  showing  that  they  are  by 
no  means  confined  to  the  southern  states  as  is  frequently 
supposed,  although  so  far  as  I  know,  the  top-soil  roads 
are  mostly  found  in  that  section. 

2.  It  will  be  noted  that  gravel  is  the  favorite  road  build- 
ing material  in  most  of  the  states,   comprising  more  than 
two-fifths  of  the  entire  road  mileage  reported  (41.2  per  cent.). 

Washington  reports  3,900  miles  of  these  roads;  Michigan, 
2,061  miles;  Utah,  1,319  miles,  and  Vermont,  1,053  miles, 
while  three  other  states  report  over  400  miles  each. 

No  doubt  gravel  is  used  on  many  roads  because  it  is 
within  a  wagon  haul  of  the  road  and  cheap.  However, 
taking  Michigan  as  a  fair  example,  where  upwards  of  60 
per  cent,  of  the  state  aided  roads  are  built  of  gravel,  Lam 
quite  sure  that  in  the  majority  of  cases  the  travel  is  not 
so  heavy  that  an  economic  mistake  has  been  made  by  using 
gravel  for  road  surfacing.  In  other  words,  when  we  take 
into  account  first  cost,  plus  maintenance,  plus  repairs,  plus 
interest  on  the  investment,  we  will  have  a  smaller  total  than 
with  most  of  the  expensive  types  of  roads. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  writer  has  in  mind  several  instances 


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180  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

where  gravel  roads  have  been  built  on  which  the  traffic — 
mostly  automobiles  at  high  speed — is  so  heavy  that  nothing 
poorer  than  cement  concrete,  asphaltic  concrete  or  brick 
can  be  expected  to  last  very  long,  nor  be  kept  in  a  reason- 
ably passable  condition  by  constant  maintenance.  Such 
roads,  however,  are  carrying  a  traffic  of  from  300  to  500  ve- 
hicles daily,  about  three-fourths  of  which  are  motor-driven. 
Such  roads  constitute  but  a  very  small  percentage  of  the 
gravel  road  mileage  of  Michigan,  hence  they  may  be  con- 
sidered the  exceptions  which  prove  rather  than  disprove 
the  rule. 

The  writer  knows  of  many  gravel  roads  where  the  traffic 
is  between  200  and  300  vehicles  daily,  with  the  same  per- 
centage of  a'utomobiles  as  above  noted,  that  are  standing 
up  admirably  and  are  being,  maintained  at  a  cost  far  below 
the  interest  on  the  difference  between  the  cost  of  these 
gravel  roads  and  almost  any  type  of  more  permanent  road 
which  might  be  mentioned. 

"In  Michigan  the  average  cost  of  the  single-track  gravel 
road  is  about  $2,000  a  mile,  the  same  width  of  water  bound 
macadam  $4,500  per  mile,  while  cement  concrete  roads  of 
the  same  width  cost  about  $7,000  a  mile.  In  the  majority  of 
cases  the  concrete  roads  are  from  12  to  16  ft.  wide  and  cost 
from  $14,000  to  $17,000  a  mile,  or  about  $1.25  per  sq.  yd., 
plus  the  grading  and  drainage  structures. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  the  annual  cost 
of  maintenance  on  a  gravel  road  will  have  to  approach 
about  $250  a  mile  a  year  before  any  community  can  afford 
to  consider  any  type  of  road  costing  $7,000  a  mile  or  more, 
so  long  as  the  gravel  road  surface  is  satisfactory  to  the 
public.  And  in  many  places  it  is  the  most  satisfactory  type 
of  road  built. 

3.  The  water  bound  macadam  road  represents  more  than 
one-fifth  of  the  mileage  given  (22.9  per  cent.)  notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  many  people  are  predicting  that  this  type 
of  road  is  of  but  little  use  under  modern  traffic  conditions. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  sand-clay  and  the  water  bound 
macadam  mileages  are  about  equal  and  approximately  one- 
half  of  the  total  gravel  road  mileage. 

Michigan  reports  829  miles;  Virginia,  876  miles;  Ohio,  786 
miles,  and  Connecticut,  527  miles,  showing  that  the  water 
bound  macadam  is  well  distributed  and  by  no  means  obso- 
lete. 

While  the  surface  treatment  of  these  roads  is  the  subject 
of  another  paper,  the  writer  still  believes  that  proper  bitumin- 
ous treatment  of  the  water  bound  macadam  road  after  it 
has  been  in  service  six  months  or  one  year  will  enable  it 
to  resist  automobile  traffic  sufficiently  well  to  give  it  a 
high  place  among  the  desirable  roads  under  present  traffic 
conditions. 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD  CONGRESS  1»1 

4.  Owing    to    the    fact    that    the    gravel    road    surface    is 
preferable  to  that  of  many  other  types,  many  roads  are  now 
built  having  a  base  of  crushed  stone,  slag  or  other  suitable 
material  with  a  top  surfacing  of  gravel.     Upward  of  6  per 
cent,    of   all   of   the    roads   reported   are    of   this    type,    New 
Hampshire    taking   the    lead    with    742    miles,    while    Massa- 
chusetts reports  411  miles,  Utah  226  and  Michigan  134  miles. 

The  macadam  base  gives  extra  supporting  qualities  for 
this  road,  while  the  gravel  surface  affords  easy  maintenance 
by  frequent  use  of  the  road  drag  after  rains,  with  only  the 
addition  of  enough  new  gravel  to  keep  the  surface  free  from 
ruts  and  holes.  Macomb  County,  Michigan,  has  a  road  of 
this  type  which  is  well  kept,  and  after  two  years  the  total 
repairs  on  two  miles  of  road  is  reported  at  only  $315.53,  or 
an  average  of  $78.88  a  mile  a  year,  the  larger  part  of  which 
was  spent  in  dragging.  The  travel  on  this  road  ranges 
between  200  and  500  vehicles  per  day. 

A  few  states  are  building  a  combination  road,  using  a 
gravel  base  and  a  macadam  top,  but  this  type  of  road  is  not 
to  be  recommended  where  the  automobile  traffic  is  heavy  un- 
less some  bituminous  surface  treatment  is  provided. 

5.  Owing  to  the  rapid  disintegration  of  the  water  bound 
macadam    road    under    excessive    automobile    traffic,    many 
forms   of  bituminous  binders   have   been  tried  to   overcome 
this  difficulty.    A  bituminous  macadam  built  by  the  penetra- 
tion process  is   usually   resorted   to.     This   method   of  con- 
struction  is  well   understood  by  road  engineers.     The   bot- 
tom layer  of  the  road  is  generally  built  as  an  ordinary  water 
bonded    macadam    filled    with    stone    screenings    and    rolled. 
The  top  layer,  which  may  consist  of  stone  ranging  from  1 
in.  to  2  ins.  in  size,  is  then  applied  and  given  a  light  coat- 
ing of  clean   5^-in.  stone  chips,   free   from   dust,   which   are 
rolled  into  the  surface.     After  this  the  road  is  coated  with 
some  heavy  bituminous  material  (asphalt  or  refined  tar)  ap- 
plied   hot,    preferably    by    means-  of   a   pressure    distributor, 
using  approximately  \Vz   gals,   of  bitumen  per  sq.  yd.     An- 
other coating  of  clean  stone  chips  is  then  applied  and  the 
road  again  rolled.     This  is  followed  by  seal  or  flush  coat  of 
hot  bitumen  at  the  rate  of  about  l/2  gal.  per  sq.  yd.,  after 
which  another  coat  of  stone  screenings,  ranging  from  %-in. 
chips  down  to  dust,  is  applied  to  fill  the  remaining  voids  and 
take  up  the  surplus  bitumen.     The  road  may  be  opened  to 
traffic  as  soon  after  completion  as  the  bitumen  has  set. 

These  roads  constitute  2.7  per  cent,  of  the  entire  mileage 
reported.  New  York  is  credited  with  233  miles  of  this  road. 
Massachusetts  with  181  miles,  and  Ohio  with  151  miles. 

6.  Owing  to  the  reported  cost  of  maintenance  of  most  of  the 
cheaper  forms  of  road,  many  communities  have  been  seek- 
ing a  type  of  road  on  which  the  maintenance  would  be  very 
small.     To    many   people    cement   concrete    seems    to   offer 


-182  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

the  solution  and  1.95  per  cent,  of  the  roads  reported  are  of 
this  type.  Ohio  reports  66.3  miles  completed  and  187.2 
miles  under  contract.  Michigan  has  94  miles  completed  for 
state  reward,  with  a  considerable  extra  mileage  through 
villages  on  which  no  state  aid  was  received,  and  has  some 
30  miles  under  construction  which  will  be  completed  this 
season. 

While  the  cost  of  these  roads,  as  above  noted,  has  reached 
from  $7,000  to  about  $17,000  a  mile,  according  to  width, 
the  maintenance  thus  far  reported  has  been  very  small  and 
the  writer  is  quite  well  convinced  that  where  the  traffic 
runs  above  500  vehicles  a  day,  this  type  of  road  is  well 
worth  considering.  Experience  in  Michigan  with  upwards  of 
100  miles  of  these  roads  is  on  the  whole  gratifying. 

7.  Since    the    bituminous    macadam    by    the    penetration 
method    so    frequently    becomes    disintegrated,    the    method 
of    thoroughly    incorporating    the    crushed    stone    with    the 
bituminous    materials   in   a    specially   designed   mixer   is   be- 
coming more  and  more  common.     Materials  prepared  in  this 
way   are    designated   as  -bituminous    concrete   to    distinguish 
them  from  the  bituminous  macadam  made  by  the  penetration 
method. 

The  foundation  may  be  cement  concrete  or  water  bound 
macadam  on  which  the  bituminous  mixture  is  spread  and 
thoroughly  rolled,  after  which  it  is  treated  to  a  surface  or 
squeegee  coat  of  bituminous  materials,  then  covered  with 
stone  chips  and  rerolled.  The  road  can  usually  be  opened 
to  traffic  the  second  day  after  completion. 

The  advantage  of  this  method  over  the  penetration  process 
is  the  thorough  coating  of  all  of  the  stones  with  the 
bituminous  binder  which  is  seldom  or  never  done  by  the 
other  method,  thus  greatly  increasing  the  strength  of  the 
bond. 

Less  than  1  per  cent,  of  the  roads  reported  are  of  this 
type.  New  Jersey  reports  41.5  miles  and  Connecticut  23 
miles. 

8.  Brick  as   a  paving  material  for  city  and   town   streets 
has  been  used  in  this  country  for  upwards  of  forty  years, 
but  except  in  a  few  cases  it  has  not  been  extensively  used 
in    road    construction    until    within    the    last    fifteen    years. 
Ohio  reports  444  miles  of  brick  paved  roadway;  New  York, 
28  miles;    Illinois,   25,  and  Minnesota,   21   miles.     No  other 
state  has  reported  more  than  four  miles  of  brick  roadway. 
The  total  is  about.  2  per  cent,  of  all  roads  reported. 

As  already  stated  the  writer  does  not  believe  that  there 
is  any  one  road  surfacing  that  will  best  meet  all  conditions 
'and  in  this  brief  paper  he  has  simply  tried  to  point  out 
^some  of  the  more  important  materials  now  in  use,  the  extent 
to  which  they  are  employed  and  some  of  the  conditions  to 
which  they  are  adapted.  -"; 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  183 

Every  road  is  a  local  problem  to  be  solved  on  the  ground 
after  all  the  data  regarding  soil,  climatic  and  traffic  condi- 
tions have  been  ascertained,  all  of  which  must  frequently 
be  subordinated  to  the  ability  of  a  given  community  to  pay 
for  any  kind  of  an  improved  road. 


CHAIRMAN  GASH:  The  discussion  of  this  paper  will  be 
led  by  Mr.  E.  R.  Morgan,  state  road  engineer  and  secretary 
of  the  state  road  commission,  Utah. 


Discussion    by    E.   R.   Morgan 
State  Road  Engineer  and  Secretary  of  the  Utah  State  Road  Commission 

Mr.  Rogers  has  emphasized  the  importance  of  gravel  as  a 
road  surfacing  material.  He  states  that  over  40  per  cent, 
of  the  improved  roads,  reported  by  25  states,  has  been  sur- 
faced with  this  material.  Its  general  availability,  cheapness 
and  efficiency,  make  it  probable  that  the  percentage  men- 
tioned above  will  increase  in  the  future  rather  than  decrease, 
for  as  the  traffic  on  the  more  important  of  the  roads  now 
surfaced  with  it  increases,  so  that  economy  would  dictate 
that  it  be  replaced  by  more  permanent  material,  the  roads 
which  are  not  now  surfaced  will  also  become  more  im- 
portant and  will  no  doubt  receive  a  large  proportion  of  this 
material. 

Utah  has  a  comparatively  large  mileage  of  gravel  sur- 
faced roads  and  also  a  considerable  mileage  of  top  soil 
roads,  in  which  gravel  predominates.  These  roads  are  rea- 
sonably efficient  and  can  be  maintained  for  a  less  cost  than 
would  provide  more  permanent  ones  when  interest  in  both 
cases  is  considered.  Utah,  however,  is  expecting  too  much 
of  its  gravel  and  macadam  roads,  as  a  large  portion  of  these 
roads  are  carrying  from  500  to  2,000  vehicles  daily.  These 
roads  are  not  satisfactory  to  their  users  and  to  maintain 
them  properly  would  cost  considerably  in  excess  of  the  in- 
terest on  the  sum  invested  in  a  concrete  pavement  or  even 
in  one  of  higher  type.  Then  too,  the  fact  that  pavements 
offer  less  resistance  to  traffic  is  a  factor  which  should  not 
be  missed  in  the  consideration  of  the  question.  Utah  citizens 
are  not  blind  to  these  facts,  for  an  era  of  permanent  road 
building  has  already  come;  indeed  a  considerable  mileage 
of  concrete  and  bituminous  macadam  roads  will  be  com- 
pleted at  the  end  of  this  construction  season.  Over  $200,000 
has  been  provided  for  such  work  in  Salt  Lake  County  and 
nearly  a  like  sum  in  the  three  adjoining  counties.  Good  sand 
and  coarse  aggregate  for  concrete  pavements  are  obtainable 
in  our  principal  counties  at  a  reasonable  cost,  and  cement 
can  be  obtained  at  a  medium  price,  enabling  us  to  build  7-inch 


184  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

pavements  for  from  90  cents  to  $1.25  per  square  yard.  A 
concrete  road,  which  is  now  two  years  old,  has  accommo- 
dated approximately  1,200  vehicles  daily,  about  one-half 
of  which  have  been  motor  driven,  and  has  cost  thus  far  but 
a  small  sum  for  maintenance. 

Closely  co-ordinated  with  the  question  of  the  kind  of 
pavement  is  its  width,  its  grades  and  its  position  on  the  right 
of  way  and  also  the  positions  of  the  public  utilities.  The 
road  between  Salt  Lake  City  and  Murray  is  built  of  blast 
furnace  slag  on  an  8-rod  right  of  way.  The  Utah  Light  and 
Traction  Company  has  a  two-track  franchise,  approximately 
22  feet  in  width,  in  the  middle  of  the  road;  the  traffic  is 
divided  by  the  street  car  lines,  according  to  the  direction 
of  travel.  The  State,  in  conjunction  with  Salt  Lake  County, 
how  proposes  to  pave  the  road  and  the  question  of  width 
of  the  pavement,  or  pavements,  as  well  as  position,  are  very 
important  matters.  The  franchise  under  which  the  Traction 
Company  is  operating  is  not  specific  in  stating  that  it  must 
pave  the  right  of  way  when  the  street  adjoining  it  is  paved, 
and  for  that  reason  the  proposed  road  must  be  of  ample 
width  to  provide  the  necessities  of  the  traffic,  in  case  the 
traction  company  cannot  be  compelled  to  pave  its  right 
of  way;  and  it  must  also  extend  outward  from  the  outer 
lines  of  the  company's  right  of  way,  so  that  no  technicality 
will  excuse  the  company  from  assuming  the  obligation  which 
the  county  officials  intended  it  should.  At  present,  the  road 
in  question  has  a  traffic  of  approximately  2,000  vehicles  a 
day.  A  single  pavement  of  from  18  to  20  feet  in  width  would 
accommodate  the  traffic  with  the  future  reasonably  antici- 
pated. However,  it  has  been  decided  that  two  strips  of 
pavement  from  14  to  16  feet  in  width  will  be  constructed 
and  that  suit  will  be  brought  against  the  traction  company 
to  compel  it  to  pave  its  right  of  way.  It  is  manifestly  un- 
just to  the  taxpayers  of  the  State  and  County  that  they 
should  be  compelled  to  buy  more  pavement  than  would 
.  otherwise  be  necessary  and  at  the  same  time  provide  an 
exclusive  right  of  way  on  one  of  the  principal  highways  of 
the  State. 

With  this  question,  the  one  of  width  of  right  of  way  for  a 
road  might  be  considered.  In  this  case,  a  right  of  way  six 
rods  in  width  would  undoubtedly  serve  all  of  the  purposes 
of  this  road.  This  being  true,  there  are  four  acres  per  mile 
of  road  in  excess  of  necessities,  which  is  now  worth  $12,000 
if  it  could  be  used  for  other  purposes.  If  so  used,  it  would 
result  in  lifting  an  expense  and  a  nuisance  from  the  taxpayers 
and  adjacent  property  holders.  Reverting  again  to  the  prin- 
cipal subject — it  must  be  said  that  the  importance  to  Utah 
of  the  sand-clay  road  is  one  which  should  not  be  overlooked. 
In  addition  to  the  mileage  of  this  type  of  road  already  re- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  185 

ported,  considerable  more  is  proposed  for  immediate  con- 
struction, partially  on  account  of  the  successes  thus  far  ob- 
tained and  partly  because  no  other  materials  are  available 
for  the  sums  of  money  on  hand  for  expenditure.  One  of 
the  counties  of  the  state  is  socially  and  almost  politically  di- 
vided by  a  practically  impassable  barrier  of  sand,  more  than 
20  miles  in  width.  For  about  one-third  of  its  length,  deposits 
of  clay  are  so  located  that  the  maximum  haul  will  not  exceed 
four  or  five  miles,  while  near  the  other  end  of  the  road  is 
found  a  deposit  of  disintegrated  clay-bearing  shale,  which 
will  have  to  be  hauled  a  maximum  of  seven  or  eight  miles 
in  order  that  the  road  proposed  may  be  built.  This  piece 
of  road  is  on  the  proposed  Yellowstone-Grand  Canon  road; 
its  importance  and  the  successes  heretofore  obtained  with 
the  materials  available,  warrant  the  undertaking. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  emphasize  the  thought  given  by 
Mr.  Rogers,  that  there  is  no  material  which  should  be  used 
in  all  places  and  under  all  conditions;  but  that  the  construc- 
tion of  every  road  is  a  problem  which  must  be  solved  in 
the  light  of  a  knowledge  of  available  materials,  the  service 
to  be  given  by  it,  and  the  amounts  of  funds  on  hand  to 
obtain  it. 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:  Is  there  -further  discussion  pn  this 
important  question? 

W.  C.  HAMMATT:  I  don't  think  that  sufficient  stress 
has  been  laid  on  the  condition  of  the  sub-grade  for  the  plac- 
ing of  a  pavement  or  surfacing.  An  old  road  which  has 
been  used  a  great  number  of  years  and  which  has  become 
compacted  to  a  considerable  depth,  will  support  a  type  of 
pavement  which  a  new  road  will  not  carry.  I  have  a  few 
notes  on  that  subject  which  I  would  like  to  read. 


Discussion  by  W.  C.  Hammatt 

There  is  no  branch  of  engineering  where  there  is  a  greater 
difference  of  opinion  and  more  discussion  leading  to  no  defi- 
nite conclusions  than  that  of  paving  practice.  Every  type 
of  pavement  has  its  advocates,  and  each  is  able  to  give  defi- 
nite examples  in  support  of  the  particular  type  advocated. 
At  every  convention  that  I  have  attended  hours  have  been 
spent  in  heated  discussion  of  the  different  types,  and  ex- 
amples galore  have  been  cited  where  one  has  failed  and 
another  has  given  satisfactory  service,  followed  by  a  reversal 
of  the  evidence  by  another  speaker.  Let  us  get  at  the  root 
of  the  apparent  contradiction. 

I  have  always  considered  a  pavement,  in  its  true  sense, 
as  merely  a  wearing  surface,  adapted  to  the  traffic  condi- 
tions of  the  particular  locality,  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
the  roadway.  The  soil  of  the  roadway  itself  supports  the 


186  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

load.  Where  the  roadway  is  of  a  nature  which  will  not 
support  the  load,  the  pavement  ceases  to  be  a  pavement  and 
becomes  a  bridge.  The  present  practice  seems  to  tend  toward 
the  construction  of  bridges,  but  due  to  the  unfortunate  fact 
that  conditions  of  support  are  varying  and  ununiform  and 
incapable  of  accurate  determination,  the  engineering  work 
is  apt  to  be  faulty.  Cheapness  of  construction  is  also  one 
of  the  main  points  striven  for,  which  has  tended  toward  a 
flimsiness  of  construction  not  in  keeping  with  the  practice 
in  other  engineering  structures  of  this  period.  If,  instead 
of  attempting  to  adopt  a  certain  type  of  pavement  to  con- 
ditions as  we  find  them,  we  should  take  those  conditions  and 
design  a  structure  to  meet  their  needs,  we  would  be  following 
more  nearly  the  lines  of  engineering  practice  in  other  fields. 

In  most  of  our  old  traveled  roads  and  streets,  the  sub- 
grade  is  in  proper  condition  to  place  a  pavement.  Years  of 
travel,  with  the  necessary  repairs,  dragging,  filling  ruts,  etc., 
have  made  the  earth  compact,  so  that  with  the  shaping  and 
rolling  of  the  surface  and  the  necessary  provision  as  to 
drainage,  the  roadway  may  be  expected  to  support  a  pave- 
ment of  almost  any  type.  This  is  particularly  true  of  metaled 
roads,  where  gravel  has  been  added  from  year  to  year  until 
the  grade  is  composed  of  compact  material  to  considerable 
depth.  Thus  we  see  that  the  most  traveled  streets  of  a 
city,  which  are  usually  the  oldest  ones,  generally  have  their 
pavements  in  the  best  condition.  Where  possible,  I  consider 
it  advisable  to  maintain  a  new  street  by  metaling  alone  for 
a  period  of  years,  before  attempting  to  place  a  permanent 
pavement.  By  means  of  sufficient  rolling  a  new  road  may 
give  the  appearance  of  compactness,  but  the  effects  of  the 
rolling  are  of  slight  depth,  and  settlement  may  occur  where 
least  expected.  Railroad  companies  expect  to  expend  far 
greater  sums  on  ballasting  during  the  first  few  years  than 
they  do  thereafter,  and  realize  that  an  unsinkable  track  is 
an  impossibility.  So  why  should  we  expect  more  from  a 
highway? 

Where  it  is  impossible  to  wait  until  a  street  grade  can  be- 
come properly  settled  and  compacted  by  traffic,  the  pave- 
ment becomes  a  bridge,  and  we  must  face  the  fact  that  the 
customary  pavement  construction  is  inadequate  in  many 
cases.  To  this  we  must  lay  the  fact  that  the  average  life 
of  our  pavements  is  so  low  and  so  far  short  of  expectations, 
and  not  to  slight  differences  in  detail  of  the  paving  surface. 
The  Romans  built  pavements  to  last,  and  they  have  lasted  ' 
on  account  of  their  thickness.  Telford's  road  was  on  the 
same  principle  and  was  the  most  permanent  of  modern 
pavements.  McAdam  would  be  surprised  and  shocked  to 
see  one  and  two  course  roads  four  inches  in  thickness  built 
under  his  name  at  the  present  day.  This  practically  has  led 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  187 

to  the  fallacious  belief  that  a  macadam  road  will  not  stand 
the  present  day  traffic  conditions. 

The  conclusion  from  the  foregoing  is  that  although  we 
may  be  obliged  to  improve  by  paving  roadways  unfitted  to 
support  such  pavements,  we  should  do  so  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  a  life  for  said  pavement  in  accordance  with  the  thick- 
ness of  the  base  or  foundation  employed;  and  that  we  should 
not  lay  its  ultimate  failure  to  the  type  of  wearing  surface 
used.  Also,  in  deciding  the  type  of  work  to  be  done,  one 
of  the  things  to  be  considered  is  whether  the  expenditure 
of  a  few  hundred  dollars  per  mile  per  year  in  metaling  the 
road  prior  to  placing  a  permanent  pavement  would  not  be 
more  economical  than  replacing  a  thin  pavement  of  a  perma- 
nent type  after  a  comparatively  short  life. 

MR.  HAMMATT  (Continuing):  In  this  connection  I  was 
glad  to  hear  Mr.  Rogers'  remarks  in  regard  to  the  proportion 
or  gravel  roads  which  we  had  and  the  results  which  were  be- 
ing obtained  from  them  and  his  conclusions  that  the  gravel 
road  is  really  an  economical  road,  considering  the  mainte- 
nance cost  and  the  comparison  of  maintenance  cost  with 
the  interest  on  the  excess  investment  of  putting  in  a  more 
permanent  pavement.  If  we  maintained  the  graveled  roads 
for  a  greater  period  until  the  road  was  in  condition  to  sup- 
port a  more  permanent  surfacing  it  sems  to  me  that  we 
v/ould  be  in  better  condition  to  place  the  surfacing,  and  there- 
fore surfacings  which  would  have  a  longer  life  thereafter. 

MR.  ROY:  I  merely  rise  to  a  point  of  privilege.  In  lis- 
tening to  Mr.  Rogers'  excellent  paper,  every  word  of  which 
f  enjoyed,  owing  to  some  oversight  probably  of  our  depart- 
ment I  noticed  he  left  us  off  the  map  a  reference  to  the 
brick  roads.  I  just  want  to  state  that  we  have  in  our  state 
about  thirty-seven  miles  of  brick  roads.  We  would  have 
more  if  it  was  not  for  the  cost  being  from  twenty-eight  to 
thirty-two  thousand  dollars  a  mile.  We  can't  quite  get 
money  enough  to  build  that  kind  of  road,  but  in  some  locali- 
ties that  kind  of  a  road  is  almost  imperative,  especially 
where  we  have  the  greatest  congestion  of  traffic  and  in  our 
dairying  districts. 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:  I  would  like  to  ask  ycu  how  wide 
the  roads  are  that  cost  from  twenty  to  thirty  thousand  dol- 
lars a  mile? 

MR.  ROY:     Sixteen  to  eighteen  feet. 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:  Are  there  others  who  would  like  to 
discuss  this  question? 

MR.  CARLTON:  I  would  like  to  ask  if  any  one  has, 
ever  had  any  experience  with  a  reinforced  concrete  road? 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:     Can  anyone  answer  the  question? 

MR.  McFADDEN:  (Orange  County):  In  Orange  county 
we  have  a  good  many  conditions  of  soil  to  contend  with, 


188  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

and  one  is  peat  beds.  We  have  built  two  stretches  of  con- 
crete roads  across  peat  beds  and  they  have  proved  very  satis- 
factory so  far.  The  road  has  settled  a  little  bit,  but  there 
are  no  cracks  in  it  and  it  is  holding  up  under  very  heavy 
traffic. 

DR.  PRATT:  I  just  want  to  say  a  word  on  the  general 
subject  of  surfacing  materials  as  a  supplement  to  what  I  said 
yesterday  morning  on  the  question  of  location.  I  stated  at 
that  time  that  I  believed  in  many  of  the  states  we  were  mak- 
ing a  mistake  by  not  being  more  careful  with  the  exact 
location  of  our  roads,  and  that  we  were  putting  in  grades 
which  we  would  have  to  change  within  five  or  ten  years, 
we  will  say,  so  that  we  could  build  a  larger  mileage  of  roads. 
I  stated  then  that  it  was  my  belief  that  we  should  never 
sacrifice  the  location  to  simply  get  the  greater  mileage  of 
roads.  Now  when  it  comes  to  surfacing  materials  if  we 
have  got  our  location  so  that  there  is  no  question  at  all  in 
the  years  to  come  of  the  re-location  of  that  road,  we  should 
then  consider  the  surfacing  materials  as  to  what  surface  the 
traffic  itself  will  demand.  If  the  traffic  over  the  road  we  are 
to  surface  •  is  a  hundred  vehicles,  or  fifty  to  one  hundred 
vehicles  a  day,  it  does  not  demand  the  same  surfacing  mate- 
rial as  a  road  that  is  going  to  carry  a  traffic  of  from  five  hun- 
dred to  a  thousand  or  fifteen  hundred,  or,  as  Mr.  Morgan 
said,  two  thousand  vehicles  a  day.  Now  we  •  can  on  such 
roads  with  a  low  order  of  traffic  put  in  the  cheaper  and  lighter 
surfacing  materials,  such  as  sand  clay,  top  soil,  gravel  and 
so  forth,  and  extend  our  mileage  by  not  putting  in  the  higher 
grade  surfacing  material.  I  think  it  is  a  mistake  where  you 
are  limited  in  funds  to  go  ahead  and  put  in,  where  the  traffic 
does  not  demand  it,  the  more  expensive  cement  concrete 
or  brick  pavements  as  a  surfacing  material  when  the  gravel 
or  sand  clay  or  top  soil  will  do  just  as  well.  The  big  ad- 
vantage to  my  mind  of  the  use  of  such  materials  is  that  as 
the  traffic  increases  and  demands  the  harder  surafcing  mate- 
rial you  have  had  the  use  of  the  lighter  materials  for  a 
scries  of  years,  and  when  the  time  does  come  to  put  on  a 
heavier  surfacing  material  you  have  got  the  foundation  that 
is  almost  absolutely  perfect  to  hold  a  better,  higher  and  heav- 
ier surfacing  material.  We  can  by  using  the  lighter  mate- 
rials increase  the  mileage  that  we  can  build  with  the  money 
available.  (Applause.) 

MR.  MORTON  (California):  In  answer  to  the  gentle- 
man's question  in  regard  to  reinforced  concrete,  while  it  is 
not  a  road  and  was  not  built  as  a  road,  but  was  merely  built 
as  a  pavement  at  the  beach  resorts  in  southern  California, 
Santa  Monica  and  Venice,  we  have  laid  a  sidewalk  that  is  in- 
tended only  for  pedestrians.  It  has  been  down  now  from 
five  to  seven  years  and  we  have  been  using  it  every  time  we 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  189 

have  a  parade.  You  all  know  we  are  very  partial  to  parades 
in  southern  California,  and  in  them  we  run  trucks  over  this 
sidewalk  all  the  way  from  five  to  six  and  eight  tons.  It  is 
some  four  or  five  miles  in  length.  The  greater  portion  of 
it  is  reinforced  with  ordinary  chicken  wire  fencing  and  so 
far  from  one  end  to  the  other  we  have  not  discovered  a 
crack  or  check  in  it.  I  have  felt  for  a  number  of  years  that 
this  was  a  good  pavement.  We  use  it  during  our  parades 
and  whenever  we  want  to  show  off  anything  and  believe  that 
the  reinforcing  is  very  beneficial  to  concrete  roads. 

MR.  WHITE:     Do  you  have  expansion  joints? 

MR.  MORTON:  We  have  expansion  joints  every  fifty 
feet. 

MR.  LODER:  I  would  like  to  call  attention  particularly 
to  what  the  gentleman  from  southern  California  has  said 
about  the  sidewalks  in  Venice  and  Ocean  Park.  They  are 
laid  on  the  driest  beach  sand  you  can  imagine,  nothing  what- 
ever to  hold  the  screen  together.  The  sand  is  just  as  dry  as 
any  sand  you  could  possibly  obtain  anywhere.  It  is  loose, 
absolutely  no  binder,  and  if  a  thin  reinforced  concrete  slab 
will  carry  five-ton  trucks,  heavy  traffic,  and  will  not  break 
01  crack  it  is  a  pretty  good  testimonial  for  a  thin  concrete 
road.  I  believe  he  has  very  little  reinforcement  in  it  from 
what  he  says,  thin  chicken  wire  fencing  material,  and  of 
course  that  is  necessary.  I  don't  think  that  the  concrete, 
would  stand  on  that  sand  without  some  reinforcing.  On  the 
state  highway  we  are  using  a  great  deal  of  four-inch  con- 
crete road  without  reinforcing.  We  are  having  little  or  no 
difficulty  with  it  in  setting  unless  we  are  on  bad  founda- 
tions. There  we  either  improve  the  foundation  by  putting 
in  better  sub-grade  material  or  make  the  concrete  a  little 
thicker.  I  would  like  to  bring  out  the  point  and  have  some 
one  answer  it  as  to  the  effect  of  reinforcing  on  the  expense  of 
laying  concrete  road.  We  have  not  tried  it  on  the  California 
work  to  amount  to  anything,  but  it  has  been  our  idea,  at  least 
my  own  in  observing  it  and  studying  the  proposition,  that  it 
would  add  a  good  deal  to  the  cost  of  laying  the  road  because 
that  reinforcing  material  must  be  handled  behind  the  mixer 
and  in  front  of  the  placing.  In  other  'words,  it  must  be 
handled  under  the  distributing  spout  and  it  will  limit  the 
speed  of  the  crew,  and  I  would  think  add  quite  a  little  to 
the  expense.  It  is  also  a  question  in  my  mind  how  the  re- 
inforcing material  would  be  handled  in  order  to  get  it  in  the 
proper  position  in  the  slab  so  that  it  is  not  lying  on  the 
ground. 

MR.  HAMMATT:  I  can  give  some  kind  of  an  answer  to 
Mr.  Loder's  question.  I  recently  had  the  laying  of  a  con- 
crete base  over  quicksand,  a  place  where  I  was  obliged  to  re- 
inforce concrete  on  account  of  the  quicksand  sub-grade.  It 
was  originally  designed  as  a  straight  concrete  base.  I  intro- 


190  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRES'S 

duced  the  reinforcement  in  it  when  I  found  that  we  ran  into 
the  quicksand.  On  that  the  cost  of  reinforcing  was  about 
one  cent,  was  almost  exactly  one  cent,  per  square  foot.  The 
additional  cost  of  laying  the  concrete  due  to  the  placing  of 
the  reinforcement  was  less  than  one  cent  per  square  foot 
additional,  making  the  total  additional  cost  less  than  two 
cents  per  square  foot.  One  reason  for  the  low  additional 
cost  of  laying  was  the  way  that  it  was  put  in.  It  was  placed 
there  one  inch  from  the  bottom.  The  fine  aggregate  of  the 
concrete  was  laid  on  the  bottom,  and  struck  off  to  ap- 
proximately one  inch  in  thickness.  The  reinforcing  was  then 
laid  directly  on  and  worked  down  into  the  concrete  as  laid, 
and  the  additional  depth  of  concrete  was  then  put  on  top  of  it 
so  that  there  was  no  necessity  for  the  accurate  placing  of 
it  providing  the  striking  off  of  the  original  layer  was  ac- 
curately done.  The  weight  of  the  reinforcing  for  the  con- 
crete road  was  forty  pounds  per  one  hundred  square  feet. 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:  Now  we  will  have  to  proceed  rap- 
idly. I  would  like  to  go  on  with  this  discussion,  but  there 
are  other  papers  that  we  must  hear.  Before  proceeding  with 
the  next  topic  I  would  like  to  especially  emphasize  the  auto- 
mobile trip  for  Saturday  to  San  Jose,  around  the  bay  and 
back  on  the  other  side  up  through  San  Francisco  and  across 
the  way  back  to  the  Oakland  Hotel.  The  machines  will  be 
ready  and  we  will  start  on  that  trip  promptly  at  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  It  is  necessary,  of  course,  that  all  be  regis- 
tered on  that  trip.  There  will  be  no  expense  in  connection 
with  it. 

Now  this  afteroon  it  has  been  so  arranged  that  at  the 
meeting  at  the  exposition  for  the  members  of  this  congress, 
they  will  be  especially  conducted  through  the  places  of  spe- 
cial interest  to  them.  The  buildings  will  be  kept  open  for 
those  wearing  badges.  In  order  to  get  a  badge  you  must 
register  at  this  congress.  The  program  for  this  afternoon  is 
as  follows: 

Afternoon  session  in  Festival  Hall,  Panama-Pacific  Expo- 
sition. Presentation  of  commemorative  bronze  medals  by 
officers  of  the  exposition.  Acceptance  and  response  by  Mr. 
Geo.  W.  Tillson  fdr  the  American  Road  Builders'  Associa- 
tion. Acceptance  and  response  by  Mr.  S.  E.  Bradt  for  the 
American  Highway  Association.  Acceptance  and  response 
by  Mr.  C.  L.  MacKenzie  for  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads  As- 
sociation. Acceptance  by  Mr.  Samuel  Hill,  President  of  the 
Pacific  Highway  Association.  Then  we  will  have  the  regu- 
lar program  as  printed  in  the  programs  which  you  all  have. 
I  am  sure  that  you  will  all  enjoy  this  program  over  there, 
and  all  who  have  been  in  attendance  at  these  meetings  will 
enjoy  this  program.  Likewise  you  will  enjoy  the  trip  on 
Saturday,  and  we  urge  all  the  members  of  the  congress  to  go. 

The  next  topic  for  discussion  is  "Resurfacing  Old  Roads/' 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  191 

by  Mr.  W.  D.  Uhler,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  State  Highway 
Department,  Pennsylvania.  I  have  pleasure  in  presenting 
Mr.  Uhler.  (Applause.) 

Resurfacing  Old  Roads 

By   WILLIAM   D.   UHLER 

Chief  Engineer,  Pennsylvania  State  Highway  Department 

One  of  the  most  important  problems  confronting  road 
authorities  today  is  the  question  of  resurfacing  or  rehabili- 
tating old  stone  roads.  This  condition  in  most  cases  is  the 
result  of  neglect.  Failure  to  make  repairs  or  to  restore  the 
worn-out  portions  before  a  road  has  deteriorated  through  to 
the  foundation  necessitates  the  rebuilding  of  the  road  and  a 
large  expenditure;  whereas,  through  skilled  maintenance,  the 
outlay  can  be  reduced  materially  and  spread  over  a  period 
of  years.  There  are,  of  course,  other  reasons  for  resurfac- 
ing old  roads,  as,  for  instance,  the  improper  selection  of  the 
original  material,  which  is  responsible  for  rapid  deterioration; 
and  the  constantly  increasing  and  varied  traffic  causing  abra- 
sive action  too  severe  for  the  type  of  road.  This  latter 
condition  is  noticeable  particularly  in  suburban  communities 
and  communities  where  water  bound  macadam  roads  were 
laid  in  the  early  stages  of  development,  and  where  the  popu- 
lation has  increased  rapidly  and  where  all  classes  of  vehicu- 
lar traffic  have  caused  the  original  roadway  to  deteriorate 
more  rapidly  than  would  have  been  the  case  had  the  develop- 
ment not  occurred,  thus  creating  the  necessity  for  repairing 
and  resurfacing  in  order  to  make  the  wearing  qualities  of 
the  road  as  good  as  those  in  the  nearby  cities. 

The  essential  points  to  be  considered  in  the  selection  of 
a  proper  type  of  surface  for  an  old  stone  road  are  the  char- 
acter and  amount  of  traffic,  the  grades,  and,  as  a  rule,  that 
most  important  factor,  the  funds  available  for  the  work. 
When  the  traffic  has  been  determined  and  the  character  of 
surfacing  selected,  a  thorough  study  should  be  made  of  the 
existing  foundations  and  drainage  facilities.  Many  surfaces 
have  been  sacrificed  for  the  want  of  proper  attention  to  the 
foundation,  and  too  often  it  is  taken  for  granted  that  any 
stone  road  is  a  suitable  base  for  almost  any  type  of  surface. 
Test  holes  should  be  made  at  sufficient  intervals  in  the  road 
to  determine  the  depth  of  the  existing  foundation,  and  usually 
it  is  found  that  a  considerable  portion  must  be  restored  be- 
fore a  surface  can  be  applied.  Irrespective  of  the  type  of 
surface  selected,  the  preparation  of  the  foundation  must  be 
given  the  same  careful  attention.  Too  much  stress  cannot 
be  laid  on  the  desirability  of  having  proper  lines  and  grades 
before  resurfacing,  in  order  to  avoid  increasing  or  perpetuat- 
ing the  difficulties  of  future  improvement  of  these  roads. 


192  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

The  question  of  providing  proper  underdrainage  must  be 
considered  and  drains  installed  where  necessary. 

In  order  that  the  various  methods  to  be  employed  may  be 
described  conveniently,  this  paper  will  be  divided  into  the 
following  classifications: 

First:     Water  bound  and  bituminous  macadam. 

Second:     Bituminous  concrete  and  sheet  asphalt. 

Third:  Vitrified  or  other  block  pavement. 

Water  Bound  and   Bituminous  Macadam 

The  methods  used  in  the  preparation  of  the  base  for  both 
water  bound  and  bituminous  macadam  are  the  same.  If  any 
holes  or  depressions  are  found  in  the  base,  the  road  should 
be  dug  out  and  replaced  with  good  sized,  clean  stone,  keyed 
with  a  smaller  size,  and  rolled  with  a  10-ton  power  roller  until 
thoroughly  compacted.  The  roadway  should  then  be  cleaned 
thoroughly  and  the  existing  surface  broken  or  loosened  with 
picks,  harrows,  or,  if  necessary,  rollers  equipped  with  spikes, 
so  that  the  new  material  will  bind  properly  with  the  old 
surface.  Where  the  new  surface  is  wider  than  the  old  base, 
or  where,  in  improving  the  line,  it  rests  partly  on  the  old 
surface  and  partly  on  the  old  shoulder,  it  is  necessary  to  pro- 
vide a  new  first  course  or  base  where  an  old  one  does  not 
exist,  in  order  to  support  properly  the  top  layer  or  wearing 
surface. 

After  the  base  course  has  been  finished,  there  should  be 
laid  a  layer  of  properly  graded,  approved  stone,  passing  a 
21/£-in.  mesh  screen  and  be  retained  on  a  1-in.  mesh  screen, 
this  stone  being  known  as  "1^-in.  stone."  The  stone  should 
be  spread  upon  the  base  course  with  shovels,  from  piles  along 
the  side  of  the  road  or  from  a  dumping  board,  but  in  no 
case  should  the  stone  be  dumped  upon  the  first  course  sur- 
face. This  layer  should  be  rolled  with  a  roller  weighing  not 
less  than  ten  tons  until  it  is  compacted  to  a  firm  and  even 
surface.  The  total  thickness  of  the  surface  course  should  be 
not  less  than  3  or  4  ins.,  after  rolling.  When  a  surface 
course  of  a  depth  of  3  ins.  is  specified  it  should  be  laid  in 
one  layer,  and  a  4-in.  course  should  be  laid  in  two  layers  of 
2  ins.  each. 

Should  difficulty  be  experienced,  while  rolling,  in  getting 
the  stone  to  compact  thoroughly,  sprinkling  with  water  or 
spreading  lightly  with  screenings  will  prove  beneficial. 

After  the  surface  course  of  stone  has  been  thoroughly 
rolled,  screenings,  varying  in  size  from  dust  to  24  m-»  should 
be  spread,  with  shovels,  from  piles  along  the  side  of  the 
road,  or  from  dumping  boards,  but,  again,  in  no  case  should 
the  screenings  be  dumped  directly  upon  the  surface  of  the 
stone.  These  screenings  should  then  be  thoroughly  rolled  with 
a  10-ton  steam  roller,  additional  dry  screenings  applied,  and 
the  rolling  continued  without  the  use  of  water  until  the  inter- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  193 

stices  of  the  stones  are  filled.  The  road  should  then  be 
sprinkled  with  water,  rolled,  additional  screenings  spread  and 
the  sprinkling  and  rolling  continued  until  the  surface  is  well 
bonded  and  set.  The  rolling  in  all  cases,  should  begin  at  the 
sides  and  work  toward  the  center  of  the  roadway,  thor- 
oughly covering  the  area  with  the  rear  wheels  of  the  roller, 
and  should  be  continued  until  the  surface  is  hard  and  smooth 
and  shows  no  perceptible  tracks  from  vehicles  passing  over  it. 
To  protect  a  water  bound  macadam  road  from  the  ravages 
of  automobile  traffic  it  should  be  given  a  bituminous  surface 
treatment  of  either  approved  tar  or  asphalt.  Prior  to  apply- 
ing this  bituminous  material,  the  surface  of  the  road  should 
be  cleaned  thoroughly,  by  sweeping  with  machine  and  hand 
brooms.  After  all  the  caked  dust  has  been  scraped  off  and 
the  stone  exposed  uniformly  over  the  surface,  the  bituminous 
material  should  be  applied. 

Bituminous  Macadam 
/ 

In  resurfacing  with  bituminous  macadam  the  base  course 
should  be  prepared  as  for  water  bound  macadam,  after  which 
broken  stone  passing  a  2J^-in.  screen  and  retained  on  a  1-in. 
screen  should  be  spread  on  the  base  course  with  shovels,  from 
piles  along  the  side  of  the  road,  or  from  a  dumping  board, 
to  a  depth  of  3  ins.,  after  rolling.  After  the  broken  stone  has 
been  laid  and  placed  true  to  line  and  grade  and  cross  section, 
it  should  be  rolled,  with  a  roller  weighing  not  less  than  ten 
tons,  until  the  stone  has  been  thoroughly  compacted  and 
ceases  to  creep  in  front  of  the  roller.  When  the  rolling  has 
been  finished,  there  should  be  spread  evenly  over  the  surface 
a  quantity  of  approved  bituminous  binder,  not  less  than  1^6 
nor  more  than  1^4 'gals,  to  each  square  yard  of  surface  area. 
The  binder  should  be  heated  to  the  proper  temperature  for 
the  material  used. 

After  the  bituminous  binder  has  been  applied,  there  should 
be  spread  a  layer  of  %-in.  dry,  crushed,  approved  stone,  free 
from  dust,  and  in  such  quantity  as  will  just  cover  the  sur- 
face and  fill  the  surface  voids.  Rolling  should  then  be  con- 
tinued until  the  surface  is  thoroughly  bonded;  the  surface 
then  should  be  swept  clean  of  all  loose  stone  and  an  applica- 
tion of  bituminous  binder,  of  approximately  54  gal.  to  the 
square  yard  of  surface  area,  applied  evenly.  This  binder,  in 
turn,  should  be  covered  immediately  with  a  thin  layer  of  dry 
stone  chips,  fr'ee  from  dust,  and  rolled  lightly.  The  quantity 
of  chips  should  be  just  sufficient  to  absorb  the  excess  of  bitu- 
minous material  remaining  on  the  surface  and  to  prevent 
the  existence  on  the  surface  of  an  excess  of  binder. 

Bituminous  Concrete  and  Sheet  Asphalt  Resurfacing 

Bituminous  concrete  and  sheet  asphalt  pavements  should  be 
laid  on  a  concrete  base,  instead  of  on  the  old  existing  mac- 


194  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

adam  foundation  which,  heretofore,  has  been  the  generally 
accepted  practice  for  country  roads.  In  view  of  the  increased 
amount  and  change  in  character  of  traffic,  even  though  slight- 
ly more  expensive,  it  is  advisable  to  provide  for  either  a  4-in. 
or  a  5-in.  concrete  base  on  top  of  the  broken  stone  or  telford 
base,  due  to  the  tendency  of  macadam  to  shift  or  to  con- 
solidate further  under  traffic  and  possible  sub-grade  trouble, 
all  of  which  tend  to  bring  about  a  wavy  or  uneven  condition 
of  the  surface. 

In  resurfacing  old  water  bound  macadam  roads,  where  the 
base  consists  of  either  telford  or  macadam,  the  broken  stone 
surface  should  be  removed  to  a  depth  sufficient  to  conform 
to  the  required  cross  section  and  grade.  Where  the  telford 
surface  is  exposed  the  irregularities  are  broken  off  with  a 
napping  hammer  and  the  depressions  filled  in  and  upon  this 
prepared  surface  is  placed  a  4-in.  concrete  Uase,  mixed  in  the 
proportions  of  1:3:6,  laid  so  as  to  secure  a  very  rough  but 
regular  surface  to  form  a  bond  between  the  concrete  base 
and  the  bituminous  top.  In  conjunction  with  the  concrete 
base  a  concrete  header  curb  should  be  constructed  extending 
6  ins.  beyond  the  fixed  edges  of  the  bituminous  pavement  and 
to  the  finished  grade.  After  the  concrete  base  has  developed 
a  hard  set,  and  from  one  to  two  days  prior  to  the  placing  of 
the  bituminous  wearing  surface,  the  base  should  be  cleaned 
thoroughly  of  loose  and  foreign  material,  by  sweeping,  and 
then  covered  with  an  asphaltic  cut-back  mixture  consisting 
of  equal  parts,  by  volume,  of  asphaltic  cement,  55  to  65  pene- 
tration, and  commercial  naphtha,  52  to  55  gravity,  the  mixture 
being  applied  by  a  pressure  distributor  at  the  rate  of  %  gal. 
to  the  square  yard.  The  object  of  this  paint  coat  is  to  secure 
a  better  bond  between  the  concrete  base  and  the  bituminous 
top.  The  bituminous  top,  2  ins.  in  thickness,  is  laid  under 
the  same  requirement  as  to  preparation,  laying,  rolling  and 
inspection  as  for  a  standard  sheet  asphalt  pavement. 

The  following  penetrations  are  recommended  for  the  as- 
phaltic cement: 

Heavy  team  or  Medium  or 

motor  traffic.  light  traffic. 

Trinidad  asphalt    45-50  penetration  50-55  penetration 

Bermudez,  Mexican  and 

California    50-55  penetration  55-60  penetration 

Experience  has  demonstrated  that  the  turning  of  traffic  on 
and  off  a  bituminous  surface  will  result  in  grinding  or  crack- 
ing the  edges  and  also,  unless  a  perfect  bond  has  been  secured 
with  the  base, — and  this  cannot  be  relied  upon — heavy  wheel 
loads,  at  a  distance  of  1  to  2  ft.  from  the  edge,  will  produce 
a  spreading  of  the  bituminous  surface.  To  prevent  this,  pro- 
vision should  be  made,  no  matter  what  the  formation  may  be, 
for  a  6-in.  concrete  header  curb  on  either  side  of  the  road  if 
it  is  not  paved  to  the  full  width. 

In  resurfacing  with  a  sheet  asphalt  top,  the  concrete  foun- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  195 

dation  should  be  laid  true  to  line  and  grade;  and  the  binder 
and  wearing  surface  laid  to  a  uniform  depth  and  raked  to  true 
cross  section  and  grade,  after  which  it  must  be  rolled  thor- 
oughly. 

Unquestionably,  the  most  important  single  point  in  the 
laying  of  sheet  asphalt  wearing  surfaces  is  the  rolling.  More 
pavements  are  failing  today  through  displacement  from  orig- 
inal form  than  from  all  other  causes  combined,  and  aside 
from  other  reasons  to  which  this  result  may  be  attributed — 
and  there  are  undoubtedly  many — it  is  certain  that  unless  a 
pavement  is  free  from  waves  at  the  time  of  its  completion 
it  never  will  be,  as  the  tendency  of  the  pavement  is  to  push 
under  traffic,  thus  increasing  the  wavy  condition.  It  is  im- 
portant, therefore,  that  all  pavements  should  be  thoroughly 
compressed,  carefully  rolled  and  cross  rolled. 

In  the  preparation  of  bituminous  mixtures  all  materials 
should  be  subjected  to  rigid  plant  and  laboratory  inspection. 

Vitrified  Brick  and  Other  Block  Pavements 

Where  the  character  of  traffic  demands  block  pavements,  it 
is  poor  practice  to  lay  them  on  other  than  a  stable  founda- 
tion. Under  these  circumstances,  it  is,  as  a  rule,  more  eco- 
nomical to  use  either  a  5-in.  or  6-in.  concrete  base,  the  depth 
depending  upon  the  character  and  volume  of  traffic  for  which 
it  is  designed.  If  a  concrete  base  is  used,  it  should  be  laid 
true  to  line,  grade  and  cross  section,  after  which  a  sand 
cushion  should  be  spread  to  a  uniform  depth  of  from  1  in.  to 
ll/2  ins.  This  cushion  should  be  shaped  carefully,  to  a  true 
cross  section,  by  means  of  a  templet  having  a  steel  faced 
edge  covering  at  least  half  the  width  of  the  area  to  be  paved. 
The  cushion  should  then  be  moistened  slightly  and  rolled  over 
its  entire  surface  with  a  hand  roller.  After  rolling,  the  temp- 
let should  be  drawn  over  the  surface  again  to  shape  the 
cushion  finally. 

The  blocks  meeting  the  required  test  should  be  laid  on 
edge  in  straight  rows  at  right  angles  to  the  curb,  except  at 
intersections,  which  should  be  paved  at  an  angle  of  45  de- 
grees to  the  center  lines  of  the  intersecting  roadways.  After 
the  blocks,  as  laid,  have  been  inspected  and  approved  for 
rolling,  and  the  surface  swept  clean,  the  pavement  should  be 
rolled  with  a  self-propelled  roller,  weighing  not  less  than 
three,  nor  more  than  five  tons.  The  rolling  should  commence 
at  the  edge  and  continue  back  and  forth  toward  the  center 
until  the  center  of  the  roadway  is  reached,  then  the  opposite 
side  should  be  rolled  in  like  manner.  The  pavement  should 
then  be  rolled  transversely  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  re- 
peating the  operation  in  the  opposite  direction.  Before  and 
after  this  rolling  has  taken  place,  all  broken  or  injured  blocks 
should  be  removed  and  replaced. 

After   thorough   rolling,   the   joints   should   be   filled   with 


196  PAN-AMERICAN  RQAD  CONGRESS 

grout,  composed  of  one  part  clean  sand  and  one  part  Port- 
land cement.  Special  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  mixing 
and  placing  of  the  grout;  the  standard  practice  recommended 
by  the  National  Paving  Brick  Manufacturers'  Association 
should  be  followed.  Soon  after  the  joints  have  been  grouted 
and  the  cement  filler  has  set,  the  expansion  joints  next  to  the 
curb  should  be  poured.  Attention  also  should  be  paid  to  se- 
curing a  proper  bituminous  filler,  which  will  not  be  too  brittle 
in  winter  nor  too  soft  in  summer. 

The  same  general  practice  as  here  outlined  for  vitrified 
block  pavement  is  applicable  to  a  more  or  less  extent  in  the 
laying  of  either  granite  or  wood  block,  the  difference,  as  a 
rule,  being  that  in  the  laying  of  granite  block  the  sand  cushion 
is  from  \^/z  to  2  ins.  in  depth.  The  blocks  should  be  sorted 
and  gauged,  those  of  the  same  width  and  depth  being  paved 
in  consecutive  rows  across  the  full  width  of  the  road  and 
rammed  with  hand  rammers  instead  of  being  rolled,  after 
which  they  should  be  grouted  with  a  cement  grout. 

In   paving   with   wood   block   a   layer   of   mixed   sand   and 

•cement  1  in.  in  thickness,  mixed  dry  in  the  proportion  of  one 

•part  Portland  cement  to  four  parts  of  sand,  should  be  spread 

upon    the    base    and    brought    to    a    surface    parallel    to    the 

grade  and  contour  of  the  finished  pavement. 

Prior  to  the  laying  of  the  wood  blocks  this  cushion  of  sand 
and  cement  should  be  sprinkled  lightly  with  clean  water  and 
the  blocks  immediately  set  thereon.  Care  should  be  taken  to 
set  the  blocks  with  the  fibre  of  the  wood  vertical,  in  straight 
parallel  courses,  at  right  angles  to  the  curb.  After  laying, 
the  blocks  should  be  rolled  with  a  self-propelled  roller  weigh- 
ing not  less  than  three  nor  more  than  five  tons  and  the  joints 
then  filled  with  fine,  clean,  dry  sand  passing  a  10-mesh  sieve. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  give  in  detail  the  specifica- 
tions for  all  classes .  of  material  entering  into  the  various 
methods  of  resurfacing,  as  this  information  can  be  obtained 
from  any  of  the  standards  now  in  use. 

The  foregoing  description,  however,  covers  in  general  the 
methods  employed  in  resurfacing  work  but,  in  order  that  the 
best  results  may  be  obtained,  there  are  several  points  which 
should  be  emphasized  in  summarizing  the  subject. 

In  the  resurfacing  of  water  bound  macadam  it  is  frequently 
the  case  that  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  work  allows  too 
small  a  stone  to  be  used,  which,  it  is  true,  will  require  de- 
cidedly less  rolling,  but  will  not  stand  the  motor  traffic  oim 
today. 

Another  fault  quite  often  found  is  the  spreading  of  screen- 
ings before  the  l^-in,  stone  is  thoroughly  locked,  and  very 
frequently  using  too  large  quantities  of  screenings,  thereby 
causing  a  heavy  crust  to  form  on  the  road  surface. 

The  success  of  the  bituminous  treatment  of  water  bound 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  197 

macadam  roads  depends  entirely  upon  the  cleanliness  of  the 
road  before  the  application  of  the  material.  Many  failures 
are  due  to  the  lack  of  proper  care  in  this  most  important  de- 
tail. In  cleaning  the  surface  of  the  road,  the  sweepings  should 
be  windrowed  along  the  edges  of  the  wearing  surface,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  running  off  of  the  bituminous  material, 
which  later  should  be  swept  back  on  the  road.  Special  atten  • 
tion  should  also  be  given  to  applying  the  chips,  just  sufficient 
chips  being  used  to  prevent  the  traffic  from  picking  up  the 
bituminous  material. 

In  bituminous  macadam  or  penetration  work,  no  bituminous 
binder  should  be  applied  unless  the  stone  surface  is  thor- 
oughly dry,  and  the  temperature  of  the  air  is  65°  F.,  or 
higher.  Special  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  heating  and 
applying  of  the  binder. 

One  of  the  important  features  in  connection  with  obtain- 
ing the  best  results  in  bituminous  concrete  construction  is 
the  use  in  the  wearing  surface  of  good,  hard,  durable  stone, 
free  from  dirt  and  decomposed  material,  as  decomposed  stone 
in  the  mixture  will  naturally  develop  weak  spots  in  the  pave- 
ment and  ultimately  result  in  failure. 

The  penetration  of  the  asphaltic  cement  used  in  the  mixture 
should  be  governed  by  the  character  of  the  traffic  require- 
ments. 

As  before  stated,  the  success  of  all  bituminous  concrete 
and  bituminous  pavements  is  very  largely  dependent  upon 
the  rolling,  and  the  best  results  can  be  obtained  only  by 
using  a  light  roller  for  the  initial  compression  and  a  heavier 
roller  for  the  final  compression,  with  an  equal  amount  of 
transverse  and  longitudinal  rolling. 

In  the  laying  of  sheet  asphalt  or  bituminous  concrete,  where 
brick  gutters  are  used  and  adjacent  to  block  runners-  along 
car  tracks,  it  is  good  practice  to  lay  the  finished  surface  of 
the  pavement  from  ^  to  54  in.  higher  than  the  brick  gutters 
or  runners.  It  is  difficult  in  the  rolling  to  secure  final  com- 
pression next  to  these  blocks,  and  traffic  will  further  com- 
press that  portion  of  the  pavement,  naturally  causing  the 
development  of  low  spots  which  hold  water  and  result  in 
deterioration. 

Special  attention  should  be  paid  also  to  the  heating  of  the 
various  aggregates  entering  into  the  pavement  and  also  to 
the  combined  mix,  as  many  failures  are  caused  by  over-heat- 
ing. No  over-heated  material  should  be  used  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, as  failure  is  bound  to  result. 

In  vitrified  block  paving  avoid  the  tendency  to  place  too 
great  a  depth  of  sand  cushion,  as  latter-day  experience  has 
proven  that  the  sand  working  up  in  the  joints  has  been  re- 
sponsible for  many  failures,  and  the  success  of  the  pavement 
is  dependent  very  largely  upon  the  method  of  mixing  and 
applying  the  grout  filler.  The  grouting,  although  a  simple 


198  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

proposition,  has  in  many  cases  been  handled  so  carelessly 
that  the  success  of  a  good  pavement  has  been  destroyed. 

The  practice  of  placing  transverse  joints  in  brick  pave- 
ments appears  to  be  unnecessary,  as  the  curb  joints  generally 
will  suffice. 

In  laying  wood  block  pavements,  care  should  be  taken  to 
see  that  the  wood  blocks  are  properly  protected  from  the 
elements  when  delivered  on  the  job  and  before  laying,  as  too 
frequently  the  material  is  'delivered  along  the  line  of  the 
work  so  far  ahead  of  the  laying  that  the  blocks  dry  out,  and, 
after  placing,  if  they  become  saturated,  undue  expansion  re- 
sults. 

The  old  road  having  been  resurfaced,  its  life  and  success 
depends  upon  maintenance,  which  in  turn  depends  largely 
upon  attention  to  details.  A  patrol  maintenance  system  will 
do  more  to  preserve  roads  and  pavements,  and  prevent  de- 
terioration, than  any  one  thing. 

The  trouble  in  the  past  has  been  that  the  average  engineer 
has  been  interested  only  in  the  construction  end  of  the  work, 
while  the  most  important  problem  confronting  the  road  engi- 
neer of  today  is  the  rehabilitation  and  proper  maintenance  of 
the  old  resurfaced  roads. 


The  following  paper  opening  the  discussion  was  read  by 
title,  Mr.  Travilla  being  absent. 


Discussion  Opened  by   James   C.  Travilla 
Highway  Engineer,  Fort  Worth,  Texas 

In  resurfacing  old  roads  local  conditions  should  govern 
the  material  used  and  method  of  construction.  The  engi- 
neer must  make  his  recommendations  based  upon  the  mile- 
age of  roads  to  be  resurfaced,  the  available  funds  and  mate- 
rial, character  and  amount  of  traffic,  climatic  conditions,  etc. 
There  is  such  a  wide  range  in  the  kind  and  quality  of  mate- 
rial suitable  for  resurfacing  that  there  can  be  no  comparison 
between  roads  resurfaced  with  thelbest  lime  or  trap  rock  or 
sharp  sand  bonded  together  with  bituminous  cement,  as  com- 
pared to  a  soft  white  lime  rock  or  inferior  gravel  or  sand 
and  clay  treated  with  a  light  oil  or  tar.  The  best  material 
and  methods  of  construction* are  none  too  good  to  meet  the 
changed  traffic  conditions,  as  the  auto  truck  and  the  farm 
tractor  are  in  evidence  everywhere  on  our  roads.  The  dam- 
aging effect  of  this  traffic  and  the  increased  cost  for  mainte- 
nance resulting  therefrom  is  a  matter  for  careful  considera- 
tion by  the  highway  engineer. 

The  resistance  of  any  road  metal  to  Wear  and  deterioration 
from  traffic  and  climatic  conditions  depends  in  a  large  degree 
upon  uniformity  in  the  hardness  and  in  the  grading.  Com- 
paratively soft  stone  or  gravel  uniform  in  texture  and  hard- 
ness will  produce  a  road  surface  that  will  wear  uniformly 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  199 

throughout  its  life,  as  compared  to  a  mixture  of  hard  and 
soft  stone.  The  grading  of  a  soft  road  metal  will  produce 
a  better  road  surface  than  any  hard  metal  not  uniformly 
graded.  The  lack  of  uniformity  in  the  grading  of  the  stone 
or  gravel  is  due  to  the  screening  or  the  dumping,  and  may 
be  corrected  by  harrowing  the  road  metal  with  a  field  har- 
row. The  importance  of  the  scarifier,  grader  and  roller 
for  road  work  are  fully  recognized,  but  the  field  harrow  can 
do  more  to  produce  a  better  wearing  surface  and  reduce  the 
amount  of  rolling  than  is  generally  understood.  By  this 
treatment  of  the  mineral  aggregate  many  of  the  inherent 
weaknesses  in  road  resurfacing  are  removed  and  a  road  ob- 
tained that  will  be  practically  free  from  "chuck"  holes  and 
wear  uniformly.  It  is  important  to  recognize  this  feature 
in  highway  construction,  and  if  properly  observed  there 
will  be  less  need  for  resurfacing.  The  slogan  for  good  road 
construction  and  resurfacing  should  be  "Uniformity  and 
Attention  to  Details." 

Wearing  Surface 

The  wearing  surface  of  any  road  is  what  appeals  to  the 
users  of  highways.  If  it  is  smooth,  free  from  dust,  resilient 
and  lasting  it  will  be  well  advertised.  The  publicity  man, 
however,  does  not  take  into  consideration  the  available  mate- 
rial, climatic  conditions,  character  and  amount  of  traffic,  and 
assumes  that  a  road  which  is  carrying  a  large  per  cent,  of 
pleasure  traffic  in  California  will  serve  the  heavy  steel  tire 
traffic  on  a  road  leading  from  his  home  city.  He  urges  its 
construction  to  the  local  engineer,  but  as  neither  one  has  had 
the  opportunity  to  study  the- successes  and  failures  in  the 
construction  and  resurfacing  of  roads  his  recommendations 
ofttimes  prove  failures.  These  problems  are  receiving  the 
attention  of  engineers  and  will  be  solved.  The  difficulty  will 
be  in  the  application  of  the  chosen  methods  to  meet  the  local 
requirements. 

The  automobile,  auto  truck  and  tractor  have  been  partly 
responsible  for  the  resurfacing  of  old  roads  due  to  the  dam- 
aging effect  from  their  use  and  to  the  demand  of  owners 
of  cars  for  a  better  road  surface.  It  may  be  presumed  in  this 
paper  that  any  resurfacing  of  old  roads  to  be  considered 
will  be  by  modern  methods. 

In  the  resurfacing  of  old  roads  vitrified  brick,  Portland 
cement  .concrete,  asphaltic  concrete,  asphaltic  macadam, 
heavy  and  light  asphaltic  oils  and  refined  tars,  with  covering 
materials,  and  oils  and  tars  as  dust  preventatives  have  merit 
and  value.  The  opinions  of  the  material  man  and  the  taxpayer 
inexperienced  in  road  work  should  not,  however,  govern  in 
the  selection  of  materials.  The  oils,  tars,  and  asphalts,  on 
account  of  their  low  first  cost  and  availability,  are  more 
generally  used  for  the  top  finish,  and  I  shall  confine  this 
paper  to  their  use. 


200  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

In  the  treatment  with  light  oils  and  refined  tars  the  road- 
bed should  first  be  properly  shaped.  The  surface  should  be 
free  from  dust  and  the  oil  or  tar  applied  at  the  rate  of  one- 
sixth  of  a  gallon  to  the  square  yard,  making  several  appli- 
cations and  allowing  each  one  to  set  thoroughly.  This 
treatment  is  recommended  where  the  mileage  is  large  and 
the  funds  limited  and  where  there  is  much  pleasure  auto 
traffic.  No  permanent  results  are  obtained,  but  the  mineral 
dust  is  held  on  the  road  which  reduces  the  wear  from  abra- 
sion and  eliminates  the  dust  nuisance.  This  method  of  sur- 
face treatment  is  popular  on  account  of  the  low  first  cost. 
The  oil  or  tar  is  applied  cold  and  in  such  a  small  quantity 
to  the  square  yard  that  no  covering  material  is  required.  It 
is  not  objectionable  to  the  traveling  public.  Some  oils  act 
as  lubricants  to  the  road  metal,  prevent  the  mixing  of  stone 
dust  with  the  water  when  making  repairs,  which  is  an 
objectionable  feature  in  maintenance  work.  The  oil  should 
be  an  asphaltic  base  product  with  a  gravity  of  about  20 
degrees  Beaume,  and  the  refined  tar  a  specific  gravity  of 
about  1.07.  Better  results  will  be  obtained  with  the  oil  where 
the  road  surface  is  a  sand  or  flinty  gravel.  Where  the  min- 
eral matter  is  limestone  refined  tar  will  produce  better  re- 
sults than  are  obtained  with  sand  or  gravel.  A  better  and 
more  lasting  surface  may  be  obtained  when  the  heavier  oils 
and  tars  are  used.  However,  a  covering  of  sharp  sand, 
gravel  or  stone  chips  is  necessary  to  prevent  the  picking 
up  of  the  bitumen.  In  the  use  of  the  heavy  oils  and  tars 
it  is  necessary  to  have  a  compact  road  surface  and  not  to 
apply  an  excess  of  oil  or  tar. 

Asphaltic  cement,  heavy  oils  and  refined  tars  are  generally 
preferable  to  the  lighter  products  in  the  resurfacing  of  old 
roads.  To  obtain  satisfactory  results  from  their  use,  ex- 
perience and  attention  to  detail  is  necessary.  A  road  sur- 
face that  carries  an  excess  of  stone  screenings  or  dust 
cemented  in  thin  layers  will  be  a  failure,  as  the  bituminous 
mat  or  carpet  will  break  up  or  peel  off.  The  road  surface 
should  be  compact  and  free  from  an  excess  dust.  In  using 
asphaltic  oils  the  larger  stone  in  the  roadbed  should  be  ex- 
posed and  the  surface  slightly  pitted  so  as  to  obtain  a  me- 
chanical bond.  This  pitting  is  best  accomplished  by  sweep- 
ing the  road  surface.  It  is  desirable  to  sprinkle  the  road 
with  water  in  advance  of  the  application  of  oil,  as  the 
water  moistens  the  dust  on  the  stone  that  is  not  removed 
by  sweeping  and  assists  in  producing  a  bond  between  the 
old  and  new  surface.  In  the  use  of  refined  tars  a  dry  surface 
is  necessary.  The  spreading  of  the  stone  chips  immediately 
following  the  application  of  oil  or  tar  is  an  important  detail. 
It  will  prevent  an  excess  of  oil  or  tar  on  the  edges  and 
quarters  of  the  road  and  if  not  given  sufficient  attention 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  201 

the  surface  will  show  "fatty"  spots  and  be  corrugated.  I 
have  found  stone  chips  passing  the  one-half  inch  mesh  and 
free  from  dust  to  give  the  best  results.  An  excess  of  stone 
dust  will  destroy  the  life  of  the  oil  or  tar.  The  oil  used 
should  be  a  gravity  from  10  degrees  to  16  degrees  Be.,  and 
the  refined  tar  1.06  to  1.20  gravity,  depending  on  material 
used  and  the  method  of  construction. 

An  improvement  in  the  resurfacing  of  old  roads  over  a 
single  application  of  bitumen  is  to  apply  two  treatments, 
using  a  light  product  as  a  priming  coat  and  a  heavier  product 
as  a  binder.  The  light  material  acts  as  a  penetrant  which 
ties  or  bonds  the  bituminous  mat  to  the  old  road  surface. 

Refined  tars  do  not  always  run  uniformly.  They  are  more 
readily  affected  by  atmospheric  conditions  than  the  asphaltic 
cements  and  heavy  oils.  I  have  examined  road  work  where- 
refined  tars  had  been  used  as  the  binder  and  found  the 
lighter  oils  to  have  volatilized  and  the  road  metal  badly 
ravelled.  On  the  other  hand,  I  know  of  tar  concrete  used  for 
foundation  in  street  paving  that  is  in  good  condition  after 
having  been  down  more  than  thirty  years.  From  experiments 
of  others  and  my  own  experience  I  should  recommend  for 
surface  treatment  two  applications.  First,  a  light  coat  of 
refined  tar,  followed  by  an  application  of  asphaltic  cement. 
Before  applying  the  asphaltic  cement  allow  the  tar  to  set 
for  twenty-four  to  forty-eight  hours.  The  stone  for  two 
application  work  should  be  graded  from  that  passing  one 
inch  mesh  down  to  dust.  This  method  of  resurfacing  will 
prove  satisfactory  on  roads  and  residential  streets  where 
there  is  not  too  much  steel  tired  traffic.  The  cost  for  a 
one  inch  topping  will  approximate  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty  cents  per  square  yard. 

Where  the  traffic  conditions  justify  resurfacing  with  ma- 
terial to  a  depth  of  two  to  four  inches,  I  am  recommending 
asphalt  macadam  penetration  methods.  From  my  experience 
in  building  successfully  many  miles  of  this  class  of  con- 
struction I  am  satisfied  it  occupies  an  important  place  in 
road  work.  For  the  base  of  this  construction  I  use  the  old 
roadbed.  Gravel  or  a  soft  limestone  for  a  depth  of  four 
to  six  inches  after  compression  may  be  used.  For  the 
wearing  surface  I  use  from  two  to  four  inches  of  hard 
limestone  or  trap  rock  depending  upon  cost,  traffic  and 
available  material.  The  stone  is  graded  and  applied  to 
obtain  the  maximum  density  and  mechanical  bond  of  the 
larger  stone  which  is  to  carry  the  load.  Refined  tar  is  apr 
plied  as  a  paint  coat  for  adhesion  and  asphaltic  cement  for 
cohesion,  binder  and  resiliency,  using  approximately  two 
gallons  to  the  square  yard.  The  best  results  cannot  be  ob- 
tained by  hand  pouring  and  I  recommend  the  use  of  pres- 
sure distributor  for  this  class  of  work. 


202  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

The  success  of  the  construction  does  not  depend  so  much 
upon  the  per  cent  of  bitumen  used  as  it  does  on  the  uniform- 
ity in  distribution,  the  mechanical  bond  of  the  stone  and  the 
density  of  the  mineral  aggregate.  The  best  practice  is  to 
screen  the  stone  into  four  sizes  from  that  passing  the  two 
and  one-half  inch  mesh  down  to  dust  and  apply  the  different 
sizes  so  as  to  obtain  a  minimum  voidage.  To  obtain  satis- 
factory results  by  this  method  requires  the  strictest  attention 
to  details.  It  is  not  unusual  to  hear  of  this  method  of  con- 
struction being  condemned,  and  of  its  many  failures.  I  have 
examined  several  jobs  that  have  not  been  successful  which 
cannot  be  attributed  to  anything  but  inexperience  on  the 
part  of  the  engineer. 

Asphaltic  concrete  construction,  on  account  of  the  ma- 
.  terial  entering  into  it  being  carefully  determined  in  advance, 
has  proven  a  satisfactory  method  of  construction,  and  speci- 
fications can  be  prepared  and  followed  better  with  this 
method  of  construction  than  with  those  heretofore  spoken 
of;  but  owing  to  the  greatly  increased  cost  I  believe  such 
construction  should  be  restricted  to  business  streets  and  on 
heavily  traveled  residential  streets. 

In  closing  I  desire  to  state  that  many  failures  are  attribut- 
ed to  the  use  of  bitumen  in  highway  construction  but  as 
such  a  small  per  cent  is  used  in  making  up  a  roadway  sur- 
face, I  believe  that  most  of  the  failures  I  have  investigated 
are  caused  by  the  lack  of  experience  and  attention  to  the 
detail  with  the  mineral  aggregate  of  which  ninety  per  cent 
is  in  the  wearing  surface. 

The  following  paper,  continuing  the  discussion,  was  read 
by  title,  Mr.  Little  being  absent. 


Discussion    Continued   by   J.   C.    Little 
Chief  Engineer,  Roland  Park,  Maryland 

I  believe  that  most  road  engineers  will  agree  that  they 
would  rather  build  a  new  road,  or  street,  or  most  any  form  of 
construction  than  to  "Resurface  an  Old  Road,"  but  since 
automobiles  have  gotten  so  numerous,  we  often  find  our^ 
selves  "resurfacing."  A  great  deal  of  careful  study  is  neces- 
sary to  determine  the  best  method  of  procedure  in  order 
to  get  good  results  at  a  small  unit  cost.  In  the  fall  of 
1908,  as  City  Engineer  of  the  "Ancient  City"  of  Annapolis,  I 
called  for  bids  on  the  resurfacing  of  two  streets  in  the  resi- 
dential section  of  the  city,  and  as  the  work  was  entirely 
new  to  the  local  contractors,  their  bids  were  too  high, 
ranging  from  90c.  to  $1.05  per  square  yard,  hence  were 
rejected,  and  the  City  Engineer  was  directed  to  order  ma- 
terial and  proceed  with  the  work  according  to  the  specifi- 


TAX-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  203 

cations.  The  centers  of  these  old  roads  had  been  built  up 
from  time  to  time  with  stone  and  oyster  shells,  and  were 
generally  firm  and  hard,  except  in  places,  for  a  width  of 
about  twelve  feet.  Combination  concrete  curb  and  gutter 
was  laid  on  both  sides  of  the  street,  thus  leaving  a  five-foot 
space  between  the  old  roadbed  and  the  gutter  on  each  side. 
These  spaces  were  subgraded  to  a  depth  of  7  inches  below 
finished  grade  and  filled  up  with  oyster  shells,  as  called  for 
in  the  specifications,  and  thoroughly  rolled  until  hard  and 
compact.  Any  low  places  in  the  old  roadway  were  also 
filled  with  the  shells  and  rolled. 

After  this  foundation  was  prepared  to  a  true  cross-section 
two  inches  below  finished  grade,  about  3  inches  of  number  2 
limestone  was  uniformly  spread  from  dumping  boards  and 
then  thoroughly  rolled  to  two  inches  after  compression  and 
finished  up,  about  December  1,  in  the  ordinary  way  for  water- 
bound  macadam,  at  a  total  cost  of  55.6  cents  per  square 
yard,  exclusive  of  the  combination  concrete  curb  and  gutter. 

These  two  streets  were  allowed  to  go  over  until  the  fol- 
lowing June  before  any  bituminous  material  was  applied 
to  the  surface  as  the  weather  was  too  cold  at  that  time  to  get 
the  proper  penetration.  Traffic  from  newly-graded,  unim- 
proved streets  brought  large  quantities  of  mud  and  dirt 
on  to  these  streets  during  the  winter  and  spring,  but  did  not 
seriously  damage  them  otjier  than  the  expense  of  cleaning 
before  applying  the  surface  treatment.  Both  streets  were 
thoroughly  cleaned  and  given  a  coat  of  Tarvia  "A",  which 
was  applied  only  on  hot  days,  when,  after  the  Tarvia  had 
been  broomed,  it  was  allowed  to  lay  "open"  for  about  two 
hours  before  stone  screenings  were  applied,  thus  obtaining 
a  uniform  amount  of  one-half  gallon  of  Tarvia  to  the  square 
yard.  Stone  chips  were  then  spread  in  just  sufficient  quanti- 
ties to  take  up  the  tar  on  the  surface,  but  before  rolling, 
th£  entire  surface  was  leveled  off  by  the  use  of  the  back 
of  an  ordinary  garden  rake,  thus  obtaining  a  uniform  wearing 
surface  at  a  cost  of  ten  cents  per  square  yard.  Since  the 
completion  of  these  two  streets  in  June,  1909,  they  have  had 
three  other  applications  of  tar,  one  being  applied  this  year, 
and  both  streets  are  now  in  good  condition. 

The  writer  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  method  of  con- 
struction above  described  will  give  better  results  in  the 
long  run,  under  proper  maintenance,  than  the  penetration 
method  where  in  small  towns  proper  equipment  for  uniform 
distribution  of  the  bituminous  material  is  not  available,  for 
the  cardinal  point  in  resurfacing  is  unquestionably  uniformity, 
if  lasting  and  smooth  surfaces  are  to  be  obtained.  Of  course, 
in  large  cities  where  they  have  up-to-date  asphalt  plants  of 
the  best  type,  it  is  possible  to  get  a  uniform  wearing  surface 
that  will  stand  up  under  heavy  automobile  traffic,  but  when 


204  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

these  same  automobiles  cause  macadam  roads  to  creep  and 
become  so  full  of  humps  that  they  have  to  be  resurfaced,  it 
is  a  more  difficult  question. 

In  the  spring  of  1911,  the  writer  decided  to  try  a  new 
method  of  resurfacing.  The  Iroad  was  scarified  and  enough 
new  stone  added  and  then  rolled  to  bring  it  to  a  true  cross- 
section,  2  inches  below  the  proposed  finished  grade.  The 
wearing  surface  was  then  applied,  being  composed  of  one 
inch  crusher  run  trap  rock,  varying  in  size  from  one  and 
one-quarter  inches  down  to  and  including  dust,  and  Mexican 
asphalt  mixed  in  a  Smith  concrete  mixer,  with  a  self-devised 
heating  arrangement. 

The  proper  quantities  for  each  batch  were  carefully  meas- 
ured, using  6.5  per  cent,  by  weight  of  the  asphaltic  cement. 
The  stone  was  charged  into  the  mixing  device  and  after 
it  had  become  thoroughly  dry  and  heated,  the  asphaltic 
cement  was  added  at  a  temperature  of  290°  to  325°  Fahren- 
heit, and  then  the  mixing  continued  until  each  stone  was 
thoroughly  coated  and  the  contents  of  the  mixer  was  a 
uniform  bituminous  concrete.  It  was  immediately  placed  on 
the  road  and  spread  to  the  proper  cross-section  and  grade, 
and  then  rolled  with  an  eight-ton  roller  until  it  became  com- 
pact and  hard.  Then  a  squeegee  coat  of  asphaltic  cement 
was  applied,  and  after  spreading  a  uniform  coat  of  fine 
granolithic  screenings  over  the  surface  it  was  rolled  and 
thrown  open  to  traffic.  This  2-inch  wearing  surface  with  the 
rather  crude  plant  cost  about  sixty  cents  per  square  yard. 
Since  that  time  this  piece  of  resurfacing  has  been  watched 
by  a  great  many  persons  interested  in  road  construction, 
and  while  it  has  not  been  subject  to  extremely  heavy  traffic, 
it  is  in  perfect  condition  to-day,  and  has  not  had  one  cent 
spent  on  it  for  maintenance.  This  bituminous  concrete  wear- 
ing surface  has  held  up  so  well  that  the  writer,  as  Chief 
Engineer  of  The  Roland  Park  Company,  has  not  only 
adopted  it  as  the  standard  method  of  resurfacing,  but  has 
used  it  on  a  concrete  base  for  the  past  two  years  on  all  new 
construction  work  in  the  development.  By  using  two  Rapid 
Heat  mixers  side  by  side,  the  cost  of  the  wearing  surface 
has  averaged  45  cents  per  square  yard,  we  being  able  to  lay 
1,000  square  yards  per  day  with  the  two  machines. 

The  bituminous  concrete  made  with  too  hard  an  asphalt 
will  be  difficult  to  rake  and  spread  and  impossible  to  com- 
press properly  at  the  temperatures  which  you  can  get  in  the 
small  portable  plants.  Experience  has  shown  that  asphalts 
having  a  penetration  of  from  70°  to  85°,  give  the  best  re- 
sults in  this  climate.  In  the  writer's  opinion  uniformly  good 
results  will  never  be  obtained  in  bituminous  road  resurfacing 
until  methods  are  adopted  whereby  a  uniform  mixture  of  the 
bituminous  material  and  the  mineral  aggregate  is  guaranteed. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  235 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:  The  next  topic  is  "Street  Pave- 
ment." Mr.  Hill,  City  Engineer  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
has  a  splendid  paper.  We  cannot  hear  it  more  than  by  title. 
It  will  be  read  by'  title  and  you  can  read  the  paper  at  your 
leisure. 


Street     Pavements 

By  CURTIS  HILL 
City  Engineer  of  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

This  paper  is  confined  to  a  brief  discussion  of  the  con- 
struction and  organization  features  of  street  paving,  exclud- 
ing that  other  equally  important  half  of  the  question,  namely, 
repairs  and  maintenance. 

Kansas  City,  Missouri,  is  governed  by  a  Mayor  and  City 
Council,  with  direct  supervision  of  the  different  classes  ol 
municipal  affairs  delegated  to  boards,  each,  if  of  a  construc- 
tive nature,  with  its  respective  engineering-  force.  Those  of 
a  constructive  nature  are  the  Fire  and  Water  Board,  with 
all  affairs  pertaining  to  fire  and  water;  the  Park  Board  with 
all  parks,  parkways  and  boulevards;  and  the  Board  of  Public 
Works,  having  charge  of  all  other  forms  of  public  works 
affairs  such  as  plumbing,  electric  lighting,  building  regula- 
tions, trafficways,  streets,  walks,  curbs,  sewers,  wharfs,  flood 
protection,  streams,  drainage,  bridges,  viaducts,  etc.  The 
City  Engineer  is  under  the  Board  of  Public  Works. 

An  assistant  engineer  has  direct  charge  of  street  work, 
working  under  whom  are  the  necessary  field  survey  and  in- 
spection  forces.  The  testing  laboratory  is  open  to  all  divi- 
sions in  which  the  street  and  other  divisions  are  directly 
represented. 

The  standard  roadway  for  streets  is  prescribed  by  charter 
to  be  3/5  the  entire  width  between  property  lines  and  of  the 
remaining  2/5,  1/5  on  each  side  is  for  curbing,  walk  and  park- 
ing space.  These  cross  sectional  widths  are  varied  to  suit 
demands  and  conditions  by  special  ordinances.  The  city 
has  approximately  1,200  miles  of  public  streets,  exclusive 
of  alleys,  parkways  and  boulevards;  400  of  this  1,200  miles 
are  paved  and  an  additional  200  miles  are  graded.  This, 
within  a  land  area  of  58  square  miles,  is  approximately  21 
miles  of  street  per  square  mile  of  area  and  also  21  per  cent, 
of  the  area  in  streets.  For  the  past  four  years  the  city  has 
completed  (graded,  sidewalked,  curbed  and  paved)  about 
26  miles  annually  at  a  cost  of  $1,150,000,  or  $44,200  per 
mile.  The"  original  work  is  all  done  by  contract  under  a 
5-year  guarantee.  The  average  contract  prices  for  the  above 
work  are: 


206  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

Concrete  paving,  6  ins $1.07  per  sq.  yd. 

Bituminous  asphalt,  6-in.  base 1.82  per  sq.  yd. 

Bituminous  asphalt,  resurface    1.57  per  sq.  yd. 

Bituminous  asphalt  over  old  brick 1.23  per  sq.  yd. 

Stone  block,  8-in.  base 3.24  per  sq.  yd. 

Stone  block,   old  base   1.98  per  sq.  yd. 

Brick  block,  8-in.  base 1.88  per  sq.  yd. 

Creosoted  wood  block,  8-in.  base 2.95  per  sq.  yd. 

Asphaltic  macadam,  10-ins.  thick 1.22  per  sq.  yd. 

The  stone  blocks  are  laid  on  an  8-in.  concrete  base  of  a 
1:3:6  mixture  of  lA-in.  to  2^-in.  stone.  A  1-in.  sand  cushion 
is  evenly  spread  over  this  base  arid  the  blocks  set  thereon. 
The  blocks  are  split  and  straight-edged,  4  to  6  ins.  wide,  5  to 
6  ins.  deep  and  8  to  14  ins.  long.  They  are  rammed,  not 
rolled,  and  a  cement  grout  filler  used  without  expansion 
joints. 

Brick  blocks  are  all  No.  1  pavers,  not  to  vary  more  than 
y%  in.  from  the  specified  dimensions  of  ZVz  x  4  x  8H  ins.,  and 
must  pass  a  round  shot  rattler  test  of  not  to  exceed  18  per 
cent.  loss.  Either  asphalt  or  cement  grout  filler  is  used, 
with  a  J/2-in.  expansion  joint  every  50  ft.  Where  the  asphalt 
filler  is  used  it  is  heated  to  350°  F.  The  finished  pavement 
is  rolled  with  a  3-  to  5-ton  roller. 

Creosoted  wood  blocks  are  laid  upon  the  same  kind  of 
a  base  as  stone  or  brick.  The  blocks  are  3  ins.  wide,  4  ins. 
deep  and  5  to  10  ins.  long.  They  are  given  an  18-lb.  treat- 
ment of  oil,  the  product  of  coal  tar  without  adulterat: -jii, 
gradually  applied.  The  cushion  consists  of  a  1:4  dry  mixture 
of  cement  and  sand  not  more  than  1  in.  in  depth,  sufficient 
to  take  up  all  unevenness  of  the  base  and  to  seal  the  blocks 
to  it.  A  1^-in.  expansion  joint  is  provided  along  each  curb 
and  all  joints  arc  filled  with  an  asphalt  filler.  On  grades 
all  transverse  joints  are  the  thickness  of  a  building  lath,  the 
lath  remaining  in  place. 

We  have  such  a  variation  of  asphaltic  pavements  that  the 
general  term  "asphalt  pavement"  must  always  be  modified, 
any  of  them  striking  me  as  a  more  or  less  hit  or  miss 
proposition.  Someone  was  about  right  when  he  said,  "No- 
body knew  what  asphalt  was  and  so  they  called  it  asphalt 
cement."  In  Kansas  City  we  have  sheet  asphalt,  asphaltic 
concrete,  bitulithic  asphalt,  Topeka  asphalt  and  natural  rock 
asphalt  pavements,  and  are  the  home  of  the  National  as- 
phalt pavement.  All  except  the  latter  are  composed  of  a 
bituminous  mixture  with  a  mineral  aggregate,  and  all  are, 
or  should  be,  placed  on  not  less  than  a  6-in.  concrete  base. 
The  first  of  these — sheet  asphalt — is  composed  of  a  binder 
course  1  in.  in  thickness  of  rock,  sand  and  asphaltic  cement. 
Upon  this  is  placed  a  2-in  wearing  surface  of  a  uniform 
mixture  of  asphaltic  cement,  graded  mineral  aggregate  of 
sand  passing  different  percentages  of  6  to  30,  through  screens 
from  10  to  200  mesh,  and  a  filler.  That  referred  to  above 
as  asphaltic  and  frequently  termed  asphaltic  concrete,  varies 
from  the  first  or  sheet  asphalt  by  varying  percentage  of 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  207 

rock  aggregate  and,  by  omission  of  the  binder  course.  The 
bitulithic  and  Topeka  use  rock  or  gravel  in  varying  per- 
centages over  various  screens  from  2  to  300  mesh,  the 
Topeka  using  a  finer  aggregate  than  the  bitulithic.  The 
rock  asphalt  is  a  pavement  made  from  the  ground  rock  where 
it  is  found  naturally  impregnated  with  sufficient  bitumen  and 
is  the  only  one  not  a  plant  mix.  The  National  Pavement 
is  comparatively  new  and  has  yet  to  prove  its  worth.  It 
is  composed  of  finely  pulverized  earth,  75  per  cent,  passing 
a  200-mesh  screen  and  is  plant-mixed  with  not  less  than 
16  per  cent  of  asphalt.  The  aggregate  is  earth,  loam  or 
clay,  finely  pulverized,  heated  to  several  hundred  degrees 
Fahrenheit  to  drive  out  all  organic  matter  and  moisture, 
mixed  hot  with  the  asphalt.  It  is  just  entering  the  com- 
petitive field,  but  a  small  amount  has  been  laid  and  that 
4  ins.  thick,  without  artificial  base  but  directly  upon  the  earth. 
The  original  cost  of  a  plant  is  about  $10,000,  and  the  pave- 
ment is  contracted  for  about  $1.20  per  sq.  yd.  For  the 
short  time  it  has  been  in  use  it  is  showing  up  very  well, 
although  not  enough  time  has  elapsed  to  thoroughly  demon- 
strate its  practicability.  Samples  demonstrated  that  a  tem- 
perature of  200°  F.  does  not  materially  effect  it  and  that  it 
will  again  combine  when  crumbled  under  300°.  It  has  not 
been  used,  in  its  present  form,  in  Kansas  City  and  if  used, 
I  would  recommend  a  concrete  base  upon  the  belief  that  all 
pavements  with  a  wearing  surface  should  have  a  rigid,  un- 
yielding base. 

Of  all  these  asphaltic  pavements,  sheet  asphalt  is  un- 
doubtedly the  best.  The  asphaltic  concrete,  bitulithic  and 
Topeka  second,  are  giving  good  results.  The  natural  rock 
asphalt  must  be  discarded  because  of  its  uncertainty  in 
proportions.  In  fact,  a  good  asphaltic  pavement  must  be 
plant  mixed.  Notwithstanding,  Kansas  City  for  several 
years  has  laid  only  the  asphaltic  concrete,  of  the  asphalt 
class,  specifying  it  as  asphalt  pavement.  It  is  laid  on  a 
6-in.  concrete  base,  is  2  ins.  in  depth,  composed  of  asphaltic 
cement,  graded  mineral  aggregate  and  filler,  plant-mixed  and 
applied  at  135°  to  190°  C.  The  asphaltic  cement  comprises 
from  6  to  10  per  cent,  of  this  wearing  surface.  The  mineral 
aggregate  is  clean,  sharp  mineral  particles  of  a  hardness  not 
less  than  that  of  good  granite  and  graded  over  different 
sized  screens  ranging  from  No.  2  to  200-mesh.  The  filler  is 
a  fine  mineral,  ground  to  a  powder,  insoluble  in  water  and 
composes  from  3  to  5  per  cent,  of  the  mineral  aggregate. 
A  5-ton  roller  is  used  on  the  finished  surface. 

Our  (Kansas  City,  Missouri)  concrete  pavements  are  laid 
in  one  course  of  1:2^:4%  proportion,  J^-in.  to  2-in.  stone, 
to  a  depth  of  usually  6  ins.  Grade  stakes  are  set  transversely 
every  25  ft.  or  else  the  surface  is  finished  to  a  templet.  The 


208  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

concrete  is  deposited  in  strips  transverse  to  the  roadway 
No  expansion  joints  are  provided  but  a  cleavage  plane,  or 
contraction  joint,  is  placed  every  30  ft.,  composed  of  one 
layer  of  heavy  roofing  paper  which  is  cut  to  fit  -evenly  and 
smoothly  with  the  surface  of  the  pavement.  It  is  finished 
by  hand  tamping  until  the  mortar  flushes  to  the  surface 
and  is  broomed  transversely  to  the  roadway  with  fiber  push 
brooms.  Travel  is  kept  off  and  the  surface  kept  moist  for 
from  4  to  8  days.  This  is  a  low  cost  pavement  for  residence 
or  equally  light  traffic  streets  where  the  value  of  property 
demands  a  low  cost.  For  this  consideration  I  suggest  the 
use  of  templets  exclusively.  It  will  not  materially  increase 
the  cost  and  will  give  better  results.  In  my  opinion,  con- 
crete will  not  wear  under  heavy  or  medium  heavy  city  traffic. 
It  has  not  held  here  under  these  conditions  although  it  has 
not  yet  received  a  thorough  trial.  It  is  being  tried  on  one 
of  our  trafficways  where  about  3,000  ft.  in  length  and  54 
ft.  in  width  of  pavement  was  opened  to  travel  about  one 
year  ago.  It  was  laid  under  special  specifications,  the  best 
we  know  how  to  draw,  8  ins.  thick,  1:2:4  mix,  and  extrefhe 
caution  and  care  taken  with  the  aggregate,  placing,  and  in 
other  ways.  We  gave  it  a  life,  under  these  traffic  conditions, 
of  3  years  and  present  indications  are  that  it  will  not  exceed 
that.  It  cost  $1.55  per  sq.  yd.  We  have  about  50  miles  of 
this  low  cost  concrete  pavement  on  light  traffic  streets,  laid 
during  the  past  four  years,  where  property  is  not  of  a  high 
value  and  the  pavement  is  satisfactory.  At  the  same  time, 
not  knowing  what  the  maintenance  may  be,  we  are  leaving 
the  finished  surface  everywhere  2  ins.  below  grade  so  that 
it  may  be  surfaced  with  asphalt.  When  property  can  pay 
for  a  high  grade  of  pavement,  it  can  pay  for  asphalt  which 
is  more  suitable  for  such  conditions.  If  we  draw  specifica- 
tions for  a  high  grade  of  concrete  pavement,  take  extreme 
care  in  construction,  reinforce  it,  etc.,  thus  making  a  cost 
equal  to  that  of  asphalt,  we  defeat  our  own  ends. 

You  all  know  that  no  one  kind  of  pavement  can  be 
applied  to  the  treatment  of  all  streets  alike,  owing  to  topog- 
raphy, traffic  conditions,  property  values,  ideas  of  property 
holders,  higher  city  officials,  etc.  But  considering  Kansas 
City  and  similar  city  conditions  it  is  my  opinion  that  prac- 
tically three  classes  of  pavements  apply. 

(A)  Where  the  traffic  is  very  heavy  such  as  in  wholesale 
and  freighting  sections,   granite  blocks   and  some    (not  all) 
sandstone  blocks  are  suitable  on  a  concrete  base  of  not  less 
than  8  ins. 

(B)  On  medium  traffic  streets  such  as  the  retail  sections, 
creosoted  wood  blocks  or  brick  blocks  with  a  possible  sub- 
stitution   of   a    small    granite    block    in    some    places    and    a 
granite  block  on  heavy  grades,  all  on  not  less  than  an  8-in. 
concrete  base. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  209 

(C)  For  light  traffic  and  residence  streets,  brick,  asphalt 
and  concrete  will  apply,  the  brick  on  those  streets  of  a 
semi-business  class,  asphalt  in  the  more  valuable  residence 
sections  and  concrete  where  a  lower  cost  pavement  is  appli- 
cable. A  broken  rock  of  the  bituminous  bound  or  oiled  (but 
never  simply  water  bound)  type  can  be  added  to  this  class 
for  residence  streets  only  when  excellent  facilities  prevail 
for  a  constant  maintenance.  When  properly  maintained  it 
is  a  good  residence  street. 


CHAIRMAN  GASH:  We  have  a  discussion  on  this  paper 
by  J.  M.  Owens  which  will  be  presented  by  title  and  printed 
in  the  proceedings. 

Discussion  by  J.  M.  Owens 
Assistant  City  Engineer,  San  Francisco 

Undoubtedly  one  of  the  first  things  that  engages  the  at- 
tention of  a  traveler  upon  first  entering  a  city  is  the  condi- 
tion of  its  pavements;  for  over  these  he  must  ride  to  reach 
any  given  point,  and  no  matter  what  else  may  engage  his 
attention  for  the  time  being,  the  condition  of  the  pavement 
over  which  he  happens  to  be  traveling  soon  makes  itself 
apparent  to  his  senses.  If  the  traction  is  easy  he  immediately 
notices  the  pavement  over  which  he  is  traveling,  and  is 
pleased;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  difficult,  his  resentment 
is  soon  evident  from  his  remarks. 

What  is  true  in  the  case  of  the  traveler  is  more  intensely 
so  in  the  case  of  the  citizen.  He  is  more  vitally  interested; 
he  pays  the  costs,  and,  therefore,  he  doesn't  let  anything 
else  lead  him  away  from  the  subject.  He  goes  out  with  the 
express  purpose  usually  of  finding  fault,  and  very  often  he 
finds  it.  At  best,  city  pavements  are  only  indifferently  good. 
This  condition  results  from  a  variety  of  causes.  Amongst 
these  may  be*  mentioned  imperfect  street  laws,  having  to  do 
with  the  inception,  prosecution  and  completion  of  street  work; 
lack  of  a  definite  plan  of  improvement,  and  a  poor  selection 
of  paving  materials.  The  other  contributory  causes  are  all 
too  well  known  to  merit  repetition  here.  Most  of  the  general 
problems  that  affect  street  improvements  in  other  large  Amer- 
ican cities  obtain  here,  but,  of  course,  there  are  exceptions. 
One  of  these  exceptions,  perhaps  the  most  important  one 
with  which  we  have  to  deal,  due  to  the  unusual  topography 
of  the  site  occupied  by  San  Francisco,  is  that  which  has  to 
do  with  grades.  I  will  venture  the  opinion  here  that  in 
no  other  large  American  city  are  there  such  ranges  in  eleva- 
tion and  such  extreme  gradients  on  constructed  pavements 
as  obtain  here.  It  will  be  admitted  that  938  feet  is  an  ex- 
treme in  elevation,  and  that  likewise  a  constructed  pavement 


210  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

having  a  gradient  of  50.1%  is  no  less  an  extreme  for  pave- 
ments. The  following  are  some  of  the  pavements  laid  on 
extreme  grades  in  this  city: 

Cobblestone  pavement  on  sand,  with  gravel  filler,  on  a  50.1 
per  cent,  gradient. 

Vitrified  paving  brick  on  concrete  base  and  sand  cushion, 
with  cement  filler,  on  a  20.7  per  cent,  gradient. 

Asphalt  pavement  on  concrete  base,  adjoining  central  strip 
of  basalt  blocks,  on  an  18  per  cent,  gradient. 

I  will  not  take  the  time  to  call  your  further  attention  to 
the  high  elevations  existing  in  this  city  nor  to  the  steep 
gradients  of  its  streets,  for  it  is  impossible  for  any  visitor 
to  these  exposition  grounds  to  even  glance  to  the  south  and 
west  and  not  have  that  fact  indelibly  impressed  upon  his 
mind. 

I  will,  however,  call  your  especial  attention  to  a  condition 
that  is  not  so  apparent,  namely,  that  of  the  settlement  ol 
the  old  filled-in  section.  You  all  have  traveled  over  a  por- 
tion of  that  on  entering  the  city  and  traversing  Market 
street  from  the  Embarcadero  to  Montgomery  street.  No 
doubt  your  first  impression  was  that  it  was  all  on  solid 
foundation,  and  you  will  be  surprised  to  learn  that  the  annual 
settlement  at  its  lower  end,  taken  over  a  period  of  years, 
is  as  much  as  .10  of  a  foot  per  year.  Considering  the  value 
and  extent  of  the  superincumbent  improvements,  it  will  be 
admitted  that  taking  care  of  such  an  extreme  condition  is 
one  of  the  most  difficult  problems  that  the  city  engineer 
has  to  solve. 

Unfortunately,  we  have  inherited  most  of  our  street  grades. 
A  large  portion  of  these  are,  of  necessity,  centered  in  the 
built-up  section,  where  property  values  are  large  and  im- 
provements follow  the  grades,  such  as  they  are.  Of  course, 
in  cases  like  that,  the  opportunity  for  changing  or  correct- 
ing them  is  almost  nil.  In  extreme  cases,  however,  this  has 
been  done,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Hayes  street  cut,  but  the 
way  is  a  tedious  one  and  the  delays  long  and  frequent. 
Sometimes  such  a  change  will  take  years  to  effect. 

In  the  other  districts  that  are  partially  built  up  the  chang- 
ing of  the  grade  on  any  particular  street  must  have  the 
acquiescence  of  the  property  owners  fronting  thereon.  In 
fact,  one  bull-headed  citizen  can  sometimes  block  the  change 
for  a  long  time.  The  intrusion  of  the  property  owners,  who, 
of  necessity,  from  lack  of  technical  knowledge,  are  not 
capable  of  always  seeing  things  that  are  for  their  own 
good,  is  much  to  be  regretted  and  acts  as  a  great  hindrance 
to  obtaining  the  quickest  and  best  results.  Grade  changes 
are  usually  effected  in  the  following  manner:  Under  peti- 
tion by  the  property  owners,  the  city  engineer  investigates 
and  renders  his  recommendation  to  the  Board  of  Public 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  211 

Works,  who  act  on  same.  If  there  are  no  protests  from 
the  property  owners,  recommendation  is  made  to  the  Board 
of  Supervisors  and  final  action  taken  by  that  board,  by  pass- 
ing an  ordinance  and  having  same  published  in  the  official 
newspaper  for  a  stated  length  of  time. 

In  substance  the  ordinances  limiting  gradients  upon  which 
the  different  pavements  may  be  laid  are  as  follows: 

Asphalt  or  bituminous  rock  on  gradients  up  to  6  per  cent. 
in  binder  district,  binder  \l/2  inches — wearing  surface  2  inches. 

Asphalt  or  bituminous  rock  on  gradients  up  to  8  per  cent, 
in  2-inch  wearing  surface  district. 

Asphalt  or  bituminous  rock  on  gradients  up  to  8  per  cent, 
in  2^2-inch  wearing  surface  district. 

Vitrified  paving  brick,  ordinary  type,  on  gradients  up  to 
6  per  cent. 

Vitrified  paving  brick,  hillside  or  rough  kiln  marked  variety, 
on  4-inch  base,  machine  mixed,  sand  cushion,  on  any  gradient. 

Basalt  block  pavement,  on  sand  foundation,  with  gravel 
and  asphalt  filler,  on  gradients  up  to  5  per  cent. 

Basalt  block  pavement,  on  sand  foundation,  with  cement 
filler,  up  to  8  per  cent,  gradients. 

Basalt  block  pavement,  on  sand  foundations,  with  gravel 
filler,  on  any  grade. 

Basalt  block  pavement,  on  concrete  foundation,  with  cement 
and  asphalt  filler,  on  gradients  up  to  5  per  cent.;  with  cement 
filler,  on  gradients  up  to  8  per  cent.;  with  gravel  filler,  on 
any  gradients. 

Asphalt,  with  basalt  block  central  strip,  on  concrete  foun- 
dation: with  gravel  and  asphalt  filler,  up  to  5  per  cent, 
grades;  with  cement  filler,  5  per  cent,  to  8  per  cent,  gradients; 
with  gravel  filler,  gradients  of  8  per  cent,  and  over. 

Asphalt,  with  vitrified  brick  central  strip,  on  concrete  foun- 
dation: Ordinary  paving  brick,  up  to  6  per  cent,  gradients; 
Hillside  or  special  rough  kiln  marked,  6  per  cent,  to  18  per 
cent,  gradients. 

Cobblestone  pavements  on  gradients  of  18  per  cent,  and  up. 

Broken  rock  pavements  on  any  gradient. 

I  would  like  to  call  your  special  attention  to  the  central 
strip  idea  of  paving.  It  is  one  that  we  find  works  out 
very  well  for  San  Francisco  conditions.  As  far  as  I  can  learn, 
it  is  not  in  use  in  many  other  places.  It  has  been  varied  in 
some  cases  so  as  to  make  the  asphalt  the  central  strip  and 
the  basalt  block  the  side  strips.  This  type  of  construction 
has  certain  advantages;  it  lessens  the  cross  slope  upon  a 
pavement  that  already  has  about  exceeded  the  limit  in  the 
other  direction,  and  where  there  is  vehicular  traffic,  it  gives 
the  driver  a  chance  to  hug  the  curb  and  affords  a  surer 
foothold  for  the  horse,  while  it  affords  the  more  frequent 
and  rapid  motor  vehicles  an  opportunity  to  traverse  the 


212  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

central  smooth  portion  without  being  inconvenienced  by  an 
excessive  cross  slope.  On  Mason  street  we  have  such  a 
pavement  as  I  have  described,  constructed  by  our  street 
repair  department,  and  it  is  very  satisfactory. 

On  the  boulevards  and  on  the  new  streets  the  city  en- 
gineer's office  has  been  able  to  gain  better  results  in  the 
way  of  satisfactory  grades  than  in  the  cases  I  have  previous- 
ly mentioned.  I  think  those  of  you  who  have  ridden  over  the 
Junipero  Serra  and  Sloat  Boulevards  and  the  recently  com- 
pleted Portola  Drive  will  appreciate  this  fact;  and  I  would 
strongly  advise  those  of  you  who  haven't,  not  to  overlook 
this  opportunity  of  riding  over  some  of  the  finest  stretches 
of  boulevard  in  the  country.  Flat  crowns  have  been  used 
throughout,  and  are  being  specified  on  all  new  work  of  this 
kind. 

Of  equal  importance  is  the  subject  of  alignment.  I  think 
that  I  may  safely  state  that  in  the  early  history  of  San 
Francisco  there  was  no  city  plan  thought  of.  Our  first 
knowledge  of  a  street  layout  is  that  gleaned  from  the  old 
records,  which  state  that  Juan  Vioget,  a  surveyor,  made  a 
survey  of  San  Francisco  for  the  Alcalde  F.  DeHaro  in  1839. 
This  survey  covered  an  area  of  only  six  blocks,  and  was 
bounded  by  Montgomery,  Sacramento,  DuPont  and  Pacific 
streets.  At  various  times  this  was  extended,  under  different 
officials  and  commissions,  until  the  city  grew  into  its  present 
shape. 

Considering  the  times  and  the  difficulties  under  which  they 
worked  and  their  early  isolation  from  the  rest  of  the  coun- 
try, our  predecessors  established  street  widths  that,  in  the 
main,  compare  favorably  with  those  established  in  other  cities. 
Of  recent  years  we  have  made  many  changes  in  sidewalk 
widths.  Probably  the  most  extensive  change  was  made  in 
what  is  known  as  the  100  Vara  District,  which  is  our  large 
wholesale  district.  These  were  reduced  so  as.  to  give  a 
net  roadway  of  52  feet  6  inches,  experience  having  shown 
that  the  original  width  was  inadequate  for  the  toll  imposed 
upon  it  by  the  great  increase  in  traffic.  In  passing  I  will 
remark  that  we  have  had  an  experience  along  those  lines  that 
few  large  cities  have  had.  After. the  great  fire  of  1906  and 
the  confusion  resulting  therefrom,  new  business  centers 
sprang  up  and  residence  streets  became  business  centers; 
particularly  was  this  noticeable  in  the  case  of  Van  Ness 
avenue,  then  the  main  residence  street  of  the  city,  which  was 
almost  immediately  turned  into  the  'main  business  street  and 
remained  as  such  for  several  years,  until  conditions  readjust- 
ed themselves.  This  imposed  "an  unusual  and  unforseen 
amount  of  wear  upon  the  old  asphalt  pavement,  with  the  re- 
sult that  it  had  to  be  entirely  resurfaced  from  one  end  to 
the  other.  At  the  present  time  the  character  of  the  traffic 


PAN- AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  213 

and  of  the  buildings  and  business  is  entirely  different  even 
from  that  of  the  years  succeeding  the  fire.  Now  it  is  the 
great  automobile  distributing  center  of  the  city.  What  has 
been  said  about  Van  Ness  avenue  applies  also  to  Golden  Gate 
avenue,  which  has  been  transformed  from  a  residence  Street 
to  an  automobile  business  street.  This  pavement  has  been 
reconstructed  twice  during  the  last  nine  years. 

As  a  considerable  portion  of  our  city  streets  have  either 
been  graded  to  official  grade  or  paved,  the  problem  of  im- 
provement usually  narrows  down  to  that  of  the  proper  selec- 
tion of  a  paving  material  to  suit  the  particular  case,  with 
such  minor  changes  of  grade,  drainage  and  cross-section  as 
are  possible  under  the  ordinances.  Only  in  the  case  of  the 
opening  up  of  new  streets  and  the  selection  of  boulevard 
sites  has  the  city  engineer's  office,  through  its  recommenda- 
tions to  the  board  of  public  works  and  the  board  of  super- 
visors, a  more  or  less  free  hand  in  the  planning  of  suitable 
grades  and  the  selection  of  the  paving  material  and  design 
most  suitable  for  the  case  in  hand.  This  selection  is  oft- 
times  seriously  hampered  by  the  objections  of  property 
owners  and  improvement  clubs,  who,  as  I  have  previously 
remarked,  are,  of  necessity,  not  always  capable  of  selecting 
what  will  conserve  their  own  or  the  city's  best  interests. 
Too  often  the  idea  of  cheapness  appeals  to  them  rather  than 
that  of  suitability. 

Another  frequent  cause  of  failure  due  to  the  selection  of 
a  cheap  type  of  pavement  can  be  charged  to  the  former  law 
governing  street  improvements.  This  law  made  it  obligatory 
upon  the  City  Engineer  to  keep  the  cost  of  any  proposed 
improvement  below  one-half  of  the  assessed  valuation  of 
any  particular  lot  against  which  an  assessment  was  to  be 
levied.  The  large  percentage  of  broken  rock  and  macadam 
pavements  now  existing  in  the  outlying  districts  is  due 
entirely  to  the  existence  of  such  a  street  law,  and  the  ex- 
istence of  such  pavements  has  helped  materially  in  retarding 
the  advancement  of  property  values  in  these  districts. 

Under  the  new  street  improvement  act  of  1913,  adopted 
by  the  board  of  supervisors  under  ordinance  No.  2439,  on 
October  29, 1913,  briefly  described  as  follows, — "An  Ordinance 
Providing  a  Method  for  the  Improvement  of  Public  Streets 
Within  the  City  and  County  of  San  Francisco,  and  the  As- 
sessment of  the  Cost  Thereof  Upon  Private  Property  and 
the  Payment  of  Such  Assessment  in  Installments  in  Certain 
Cases," — it  is  now  possible  to  construct  permanent  pavements 
under  the  10-year  bond  plan.  This  would  have  been  entirely 
impossible  under  the  old  law.  Commencing  with  the  adop- 
tion of  this  new  street  law,  street  improvements  have  gone 
ahead  at  a  rate  far  in  excess  of  that  of  any  other  period  in 
the  city's  history.  In  the  last  fiscal  year,  560,104  square 


214  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

yards   of  pavements  of  different  kinds  were  constructed,  at 
a  cost  of  $1,140,630. 

Early  San  Francisco  Pavements 

Before  entering  upon  the  subject  of  San  Francisco's  present 
paving  specifications,  a  foreword  concerning  the  early  history 
of  some  of  its  pavements  may  be  of  interest.  The  first 
type  of  pavement  laid  was  3-inch  planks  and  10-inch  stringers, 
laid  on  Washington  street  in  1850.  The  first  official  know- 
ledge we  have  of  a  permanent  pavement,  accepted  by  the 
city,  is  in  the  case  of  the  pavement  constructed  upon  the 
crossing  of  Seventh  and  Harrison  streets,  which  was  of  basalt 
blocks  and  was  accepted  on  April  4,  1861.  The  intersection 
of  Sutter  and  Kearny  streets,  which  at  present  marks  the 
very  center  of  the  shopping  district,  was  paved  with  bitumen 
and  accepted  on  August  23,  1863.  We  also  learn  that  asphalt 
was  used  with  basalt  blocks  in  paving  Taylor  street,  between 
Pacific  street  and  Broadway,  and  was  accepted  on  August 
6,  1877.  When  we  consider  that  the  modern  asphalt  pave- 
ment was  first  used  on  a  city  street  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  in 
1871,  we  see  that  San  Francisco  started  early  to  use  good 
paving  materials.  From  the  old  records  we  learn  that  the 
"Nicklson  Block,"  the  probable  predecessor  of  the  modern 
wood  block  pavement,  was  laid  here  as  early  as  February 
26,  1877;  that  cobblestone  pavement  was  laid  in  1862;  and 
that  "Carbol  Brick"  was  laid  in  1876.  Just  how  these  pave- 
ments were  constructed  or  what  their  relative  merits  were  is 
a  matter  of  conjecture,  as  there  are  no  reliable  records  ex- 
tant. In  fact,  outside  of  the  bare  statement  that  such  streets 
were  graded,  planked,  macadamized  or  paved,  there  is  little 
of  value  to  be  gleaned  from  the  early  municipal  reports. 

San  Francisco  is  blessed  with  a  temperate  climate  and, 
therefore,  its  pavements  are  not  subjected  to  those  stresses 
that  are  due  to  extremes  in  temperature.  This  makes  pos- 
sible the  use  of  asphalt  and  bituminous  rock  pavements  on 
gradients  in  excess  of  those  upon  which  this  material  is  laid 
elsewhere.  She  is  also  fortunate  in  being  located  centrally 
in  the  largest  oil  and  asphalt  producing  state  in  the  Union. 
Within  a  reasonable  distance  are  located  some  very  excellent 
basalt  block  quarries,  and  in  the  bay  counties  there  are  some 
very  fine  deposits  of  rock  and  gravel  suitable  for  macadam 
and  concrete.  Vitrified  brick  are  made  from  deposits  in  the 
county,  and  are  also  obtained  from  the  bay  counties,  but  as 
yet  we  have  no  clay  deposits  that  compare  with  the  best 
in  the  middle  Western  and  Eastern  states.  Sand  of  all 
kinds  is  also  obtainable,  so  that  it  can  be  readily  seen  that 
we  have  close  at  hand  most  of  the  ingredients  necessary 
to  the  building  of  good  modern  pavements. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  215 

Pavements 

Of  the  various  kinds  of  pavements  constructed  in  San 
Francisco  under  the  jurisdiction  -of  the  City  Engineer  dur- 
ing the  last  fiscal  year,  about  four-fifths  of  the  total  yardage 
was  of  asphalt,  costing  some  $839,609.67.  This  indicates  at 
a  glance  the  rapid  increase  in  favor  that  this  material  has 
gained.  Sometime  back  the  natural  bituminous  sandstone 
rock  was  used  to  an  extraordinary  extent,  but  its  variable 
character  has  given  way  to  the  more  definite  asphalt  type  of 
pavement.  The  older  bituminous  rock  pavements  were  al- 
most universally  made  2l/2  inches  thick  and  constructed 
on  a  6-inch  concrete  base.  Our  present  practice  is  to  make 
the  base  of  I:2j4:7  cement  concrete,  6  inches  in  thickness, 
although  this  thickness  was  exceeded  in  the  case  of  Lower 
Market  street,  where  the  base  was  made  9  inches. 

On  ordinary  traffic  streets  the  surface  is  composed  of  a 
2-inch  binder  course  and  a  lJ/2-inch  wearing  surface.  On 
light  traffic  streets  a  2-inch  wearing  surface  is  generally  pre- 
scribed, and  on  boulevards  a  1^-inch  binder  course  and  a 
1-inch  wearing  surface  is  specified. 

Formerly  nearly  all  of  our  basalt  block  pavements  were 
laid  on  a  sand  foundation,  only  with  a  gravel  or  asphalt  and 
gravel  filler,  as  the  case  might  be.  These  have  proved  un- 
satisfactory, but  answered  as  a  temporary  expedient  on  the 
heavy  traffic  streets,  that  happen  to  lie  within  the  settling  dis- 
trict, where  they  can  be  relaid  occasionally  at  small  expense. 
What  we  consider  the  best  type  of  pavement  for  use  on  the 
heavy  traffic  streets  here  is  a  basalt  block  pavement,  having 
a  6-inch  concrete  base,  a  2-inch  sand  cushion  and  cement 
grouted  joints,  which  are  swept  out  to  a  depth  of  about  1 
inch  before  the  grout  hardens.  The  basalt,  according  to 
tests  that  have  been  made  from  time  to  time  on  it,  exceeds 
granite  in  those  qualities  that  are  generally  prescribed  for 
a  paving  stone.  These  blocks  are  dimensioned  as  follows: 
3%  inches  to  4  inches  in  width,  7  inches  to  9  inches  in  length, 
and  6  inches  to  6^/2  inches  in  depth,  and  are  required  to 
have  no  projection  or  depression  exceeding  *4  inch. 

Vitrified  Brick  Pavement 

Vitrified  brick  pavements  are  in  their  infancy  here.  The 
one  that  has  been  constructed  the  longest,  that  on  Powell 
street,  has  the  best  appearance  today,  and  gives  every  in- 
dication of  lasting  for  a  long  time.  The  other  brick  pave- 
ments on  the  heavy  traffic  streets,  such  as  on  First  and 
Third  streets,  while  in  the  main  in  good  shape,  show  signs 
of  wear  along  the  car  track  and  adjoining  manhole  covers. 
The  rough  kiln  mark  and  hillside  brick  wherever  laid  have 
given  satisfaction. 

Cobblestone   Pavement 

This  pavement  is  composed  of  creek  bed  stones,  laid  on 


216  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

edge  with  the  largest  dimension  upward,  on  a  sand  founda- 
tion and  the  joints  filled  with  gravel  and  the  blocks  rammed  in 
place.  This  type  of  pavement  is  being  rapidly  superseded 
by  the  vitrified  brick  pavement. 

Summary 

To  sum  up,  our  experience  here  in  the  matter  of  dimen- 
sioning and  constructing  pavements  is  very  similar  to  the 
experience  of  other  cities  in  that  regard,  with  the  exceptions 
that  are  always  due  to  the  difference  in  local  street  laws  and 
local  conditions.  A  few  general  facts  force  themselves  upon 
our  notice,  however.  Chief  amongst  these  is  the  fact  that 
at  the  present  time  the  highway  engineer  is  not  always  al- 
lowed to  use  his  best  judgment  in  either  the  location  or 
selection  of  city  pavements,  but  is  hampered  by  imperfect 
street  laws,  local  ordinances  and  by  the  interference  of  prop- 
erty owners  and  others  not  competent  to  form  a  proper 
opinion  in  this  regard.  Another  fact  is  that  the  future  as 
well  as  the  present  traffic  needs  should  be  considered,  be- 
fore deciding  on  the  particular  kind  of  pavement  that  should 
be  constructed  in  any  particular  locality.  In  this  regard 
an  increase  in  the  thickness  over  the  usual  6-inch  founda- 
tion specified  should  be  provided  for,  as  in  the  case  of  a 
district  where  settlement  occurs  or  where  there  are  unusual 
and  heavy  loads  to  be  taken  care  of. 

Our  experience  here  has  led  us  to  the  belief  that  the  wear- 
ing surface  should  be  of  less  thickness  than  the  binder  course. 
This  is  not  usually  specified  elsewhere  but  has  given  entire 
satisfaction  here. 

Another  thing  that  is  of  unusual  importance  is  the  proper 
construction  of  a  pavement  adjoining  street  railway  tracks. 
The  larger  part  of  our  pavement  troubles  comes  from  im- 
perfect work  in  this  respect.  Under  existing  laws  the  street 
railway  people  are  responsible  for  the  construction  and 
maintenance  of  the  pavement  over  their  right  of  way.  This 
usually  extends  two  feet  outside  of  the  track.  As  this  work 
is  usually  performed  by  them  either  before  or  after  the  con- 
struction of  the  rest  of  the  pavement,  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  obtain  a  good  job.  Every  effort  should  be  made  to  en- 
courage the  laying  of  the  concrete  base  under  and  adjoining 
the  rails  so  that  the  concrete  base  will  be  a  monolith  in- 
stead of  an  arch  with  a  loose  keystone  in  it.  With  proper 
attention  given  to  that  part  of  pavement  construction,  one 
of  the  most  frequent  causes  of  failure  in  pavements  will  be 
eliminated. 

Another  fact  that  is  apparent  is  that  a  first-class  brick 
pavement  should  be  cement  grouted.  A  plastic  filler  allows 
a  movement  of  the  blocks  and  the  possible  intrusion  of 
moisture  into  the  sand  cushion,  with  a  consequent  irregularity 
of  pavement  resulting.  Usually  too  short  a  time  is  specified 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  217 

for  the  closing  of  a  concrete  base  or  new  brick  pavement  to 
traffic.  Especially  is  this  the  case  with  brick  pavement.  If 
possible,  it  should  be  closed  to  traffic  for  at  least  ten  days. 
Another  suggestion  that  I  would  make  is  that  in  the  case  of 
an  asphalt  or  bituminous  rock  pavement,  a  separate  form  of 
gutter,  either  of  brick  or  basalt  block,  cement  grouted,  should 
be  constructed,  as  this  allows  of  a  better  handling  of  the 
surface  drainage  by  warping  the  gutters  without  distorting 
the  "cross-section  of  the  pavement  surface;  and  last,  but  not 
least,  let  me  insist  upon  the  fact  that  low  crowns  should 
be  more  encouraged,  as  the  tendency  is  now  to  the  other 
extreme,  which  inevitably  results  in  a  poorly  designed  and 
unsafe  pavement. 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:  This  concludes  the  program  this 
morning.  We  are  hurrying  along.  Here  is  a  notice  of  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  American  Highway  Association, 
change  of  time.  The  annual  meeting  of  the  American  High- 
way Association  will  be  held  at  the  Auditorium,  Oakland, 
on  Thursday,  at  twelve  o'clock  noon,  immediately  following 
the  adjournment  of  the  regular  session  of  the  congress. 
All  members  are  urged  to  be  present  This  is  signed  by 
S  E.  Bradt,  member  of  the  executive  committee.  Now,  re- 
member the  program  this  afternoon.  Part  of  that  is  spe- 
cial, in  addition  to  the  regular  program  at  the  Panama- 
Pacific  Exposition,  and  all  should  be  there  promptly. 

An  invitation  has  been  extended  to  this  congress  from 
the  Boston  Chamber  of  Commerce  to  hold  the  next  session 
of  this  congress  in  Boston.  We  haven't  time  to  read  it,  it 
is  in  writing  and  will  go  into  the  proceedings.  Is  there 
any  further  business  to  be  brought  before  this  meeting? 

MR.  COBB:  Before  we  adjourn  this  morning's  session 
I  would  suggest  that  the  sessions  should  be  called  promptly 
at  the  hours  scheduled.  Now,  I  believe,  we  can  all  get 
here  and  we  will  get  along  much  more  rapidly  with  the 
business  if  the  sessions  are  called  to  order  promptly. 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:     I  think  that  is  a  good  suggestion. 

MR.  COBB:  I  think  the  sessions  ought  to  be  called  to 
order  promptly  whether  anybody  is  here  or  not. 

CHAIRMAN  GASH:  At  the  future  sessions  let  all  the 
members  of  the  congress  be  here  early  so  that  the  meetings 
can  be  called  to  order  promptly.  This  will  give  a  longer 
time  for  the  discussion  of  these  papers.  I  know  that  you 
all  wanted  to  discuss  all  these  questions  more  at  length 
this  morning,  but  we  have  this  special  program  on  this 
afternoon.  Don't  forget  the  pleasant  part  of  it,  the  responses 
by  Mr.  Tillson,  Mr.  Bradt,  Mr.  MacKenzie  and  Mr.  Hill  as 
announced,  in  addition  to  the  regular  program  this  after- 
noon of  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress.  There  will  be 


218  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

a  meeting  of  the  American  Association  of  State  Highway 
Officials  on  Thursday  afternoon  at  three  o'clock,  room  101, 
at  the  Hotel  Oakland.  The  members  are  requested  to  be 
there  promptly  at  that  time. 

Is  there  anything  further  to  come  before  this  meeting? 
If  not,  this  meeting  will  now  stand  adjourned  to  meet 
promptly  at  two-thirty  at  the  Panama-Pacific  Exposition  this 
afternoon. 

An  adjournment  was  then  taken  to  the  grounds  of  the 
Panama-Pacific  Inernational  Exposition,  Festival  Hall,  at 
two-thirty  p.  m. 


FIFTH  SESSION,  2:30  P.  M. 

Festival    Hall,  Panama-Pacific    International   Exposition 
Grounds,   San   Francisco 

JAMES  H.  MACDONALD:  After  nearly  a  week  of  in- 
teresting exercises  at  Oakland  in  our  Pan-American  Road 
Congress  we  have  been  invited  to  come  here  today  and 
hold  the  afternoon  session  of  our  congress.  We  are  to 
enjoy  a  delightful  preface  to  the  occasion.  What  it  is, 
Director  Frank  L.  Brown  will  tell  you.  I  take  great  pleas- 
ure in  introducing  to  you  Mr.  Frank  L.  Brown,  the  Direc- 
tor of  the  Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

Director  Brown's  Address 

Mr.  Chairman,  Honored  Guests  and  Ladies  and  Gentle- 
men: In  behalf  of  President  Moore  and  the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  the  Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition  it 
is  my  great  pleasure  and  high  privilege  to  welcome  this 
distinguished  gathering  today.  As  a  matter  of  history  it 
no  doubt  will  interest  you  to  know  that  at  this  exposition 
the  number  'of  congresses  and  conventions  held  in  com- 
memoration of  this  event  is  nearly  nine  hundred,  or  more 
than  four  times  greater  than  the  number  of  conventions  and 
congresses  held  at  any  previous  world's  exposition,  and 
when  you  take  into  consideration  the  great  distance  of  this 
city  from  the  centers  of  dense  populations  in  the  East  I 
think  it  is  most  remarkable  that  the  attendance  here  at  these 
conventions  has  been  as  large  as  it  has.  I  think  you  will 
agree  with  me  that  the  occasion  for  it  must  have  been  a 
comprehesion  on  the  part  of  the  people  comprising  these 
congresses  and  conventions  that  this  exposition  commemo- 
rates, as  it  does,  the  greatest  engineering  achievement  in 
the  history  of  the  world,  the  completion  of  the  Panama 
canal,  and  also  an  equally  great  achievement  the  rebuilding 
of  the  city  of  San  Francisco  from  the  most  disastrous  con- 
flagration of  all  ages.  When  you  take  into  consideration 
the  fact  that  while  the  United  States  government  was  spend- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  219 

ii?g  four  hundred  million  dollars  in  building  the  Panama 
canal  connecting  the  two  great  oceans,  and  bringing  closer 
together  all  the  nations  of  the  world  in  friendly  accord  of 
trade  and  commerce  and  civilization,  -the  people  of  San 
Francisco  were  simultaneously  expending  a  like  sum  of 
money,  four  hundred  million  dollars,  in  the  rebuilding  of 
their  city  from  that  dread  conflagration  that  practically  put 
us  out  of  existence  only  nine  years  ago.  So  this  celebra- 
tion at  the  Golden  Gate,  within  the  walls  of  the  Jewel 
City,  has  a  deeper  note  of  significance  than  any  previous 
exposition  in  the  world's  history,  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
the  only  international  exposition  ever  held  that  com- 
memorates a  living  event,  the  completion  of  the  Panama 
canal. 

Philadelphia  celebrated  the  Centennial,  Chicago  the 
Columbian,  St.  Louis  the  Louisiana  Purchase,  and  even  Port- 
land the  Lewis-Clarke  Expedition.  The  previous  exposi- 
tions have  been  held  commemorating  past  events  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  world.  This  is  the  first  exposition  ever  com- 
memorating a  living  event,  the  first  exposition  ever  held 
at  tide-water,  and  the  first  exposition  ever  held  of  inter- 
national importance  here  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  ocean, 
fronting  up  on  more  than  one-half  of  the  population  of  the 
world,  with  whom  we  expect  to  do  business  and  to  live 
in  peace  and  comity  in  the  centuries  yet  to  come.  So  that 
those  of  us  who  have  been  officially  identified  with  the  ex- 
position since  its  beginning  have  perhaps  assumed  the  situa- 
tion with  a  little  more  seriousness  than  is  generally  given 
because  of  these  vital  facts,  the  rebuilding  of  our  city  and 
the  completion  of  the  Panama  canal. 

Now  it  has  been  the  custom  of  our  exposition  to  endeavor 
to  commemorate  and  celebrate  the  work  of  the  different 
congresses  and  conventions  held  here.  The  important  papers 
will  be  permanently  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  expo- 
sition and  will  constitute  an  encyclopedia  of  perhaps  the 
most  useful  knowledge  and  the  latest  evolution  in  science, 
in  government,  in  all  the  material  work  of  the  world,  as 
well  as  in  art,  literature  and  religion.  Hence  it  is  that  we 
of  the  exposition  welcome  here  today  what  we  believe  is 
one  of  the  most  important  congresses  that  has  held  its 
sessions  within  the  Jewel  City,  and  one  that  is  fraught  with 
perhaps  more  tremendous  consequences  in  the  future  than 
almost  any  other  congress.  Looking  briefly  back  into  the 
past  we  realize  that  about  fifty  years  ag<>  this  nation  of 
ours  entered  into  what  was  known  as  the  steam  age.  Fifty 
years  ago  the  building  of  the  railroads  was  of  first  and 
supreme  importance.  The  iron  bands  were  sent  out  into 
the  trackless  wilderness  and  history  will  record  that  the 
great  builders,  such  as  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  James  J.  Hill 


220  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

and  our  own  C.  P.  Huntington  and  his  associates  were  among, 
not  alone  the  greatest  captains  of  industry,  but  the  great 
captains  of  transportation  and  of  civilization  as  well. 

The  next  evolution  or  step  in  the  progress  and  develop- 
ment of  this  race  came  twenty-five  years  later  in  what  ;.s 
known  as  the  trolley  system.  Electric  roads  spanning  all 
of  our  various  towns  and  cities  and  connecting  whole  dis- 
tricts so  as  to  make  the  country  almost  as  accessible  as  the 
city  was  the  next  step  in  the  evolution  of  this  nation.  The 
past  quarter  of  a  century  has  been  known  as  the  electric 
age,  and  now  today  we  are  entering  upon  what  I  believe 
history  will  record  as  the  greatest  evolution  and  develop- 
ment in  the  progress  of  this  nation  or  any  other  nation 
since  the  great  Roman  causeways  were  built  centuries  ago, 
the  era  of  road-building.  And  when  you  contemplate  its 
importance  and  significance  and  look  back  over  this  western 
coast  and  consider  that  when  the  pioneers  first  crossed  the 
great  prairies  and  mountain  ranges  of  the  west  in  the 
old  schooners,  and  when  you  consider  the  hardships  that 
they  endured,  these  pioneers  of  ours,  who  started  this 
civilization  here  on  the  western  coast,  and  then  follow  it 
in  the  next  evolutionary  stage,  the  building  of  trans-con- 
tinental railroads  that  cut  through  the  ranges  and  brought 
us  in  closer  touch  with  our  brothers  of  the  east,  and  then 
the  final  climax  of  all  achievements,  the  completion  of  the 
Panama  canal,  the  dividing  of  the  land  and  the  uniting  of 
the  world,  I  think  it  is  only  right  and  proper  that  the  next 
stage,  that  of  good  road  building,  should  be  brought  promi- 
nently before  the  attention  not  only  of  this  nation,  but  of 
the  world.  I  doubt  if  there  is  any  other  way  that  it  could 
have  been  done  more  effectively  than  by  the  holding  of 
this  great  international  exposition  here  on  the  shores  of 
the  Golden  Gate  and  the  gathering  of  your  congresses  and 
conventions  within  our  walls,  because  I  have  been  informed 
that  there  has  been  a  steady  stream  of  motor  cars  across 
this  great  continent  of  ours,  while  north  and  south  a  steady 
stream  of  these  modern  engines  of  the  road  have  brought 
the  people  of  the  north  and  the  people  of  the  south  here  to 
this  great  exposition.  So  I  think  it  is  not  unfair  to  say 
that  the  evolution  of  good  roads  will  be  advantaged  at  least 
a  quarter  of  a  century  by  the  holding  of  this  exposition 
here  and  by  the  gathering  of  this  great  congress  of  yours 
on  the  western  coast,  because  in  no  other  way,  I  think, 
could  the  unthinking  public  have  been  brought  to  a  realiza- 
tion that  it  is  possible  for  a  motor  car  to  journey  from  New 
York  to  San  Francisco  with  very  little  more  discomfort 
than  our  early  trains  of  about  forty  years  ago.  It  has 
seemed  to  me  that  the  whole  of  civilization  in  its  next 
stage  of  evolution  is  brought  closely  into  the  work  that 


.    PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  221 

you  people  are  doing  in  this  building  of  good  roads  and  in 
the  setting  of  the  example,  if  I  might  say,  for  the  other 
nations  of  the  world.  Of  course,  Europe"  already  has  its 
good  roads;  but  when  you  consider  what  Central  and  South 
America  has  yet  to  accomplish;  and  when  you  consider 
what  the  other  countries  of  the  Pacific  have  yet  to  ac- 
complish, I  think  you  will  agree  with  me  that  your  con- 
gress and  convention  here  is  of  exceedingly  great  impor- 
tance not  alone  to  this  exposition,  but  the  people  of  all 
the  world  as  well. 

So  in  accordance  with  this  custom  of  our  exposition  we 
wish  to  present  to  the  different  officials  of  the  different 
organizations  that  comprise  this  great  convention  our 
bronze  medal.  In  doing  this  I  ask  that  you  take  into  ac- 
count what  it  typifies  and  represents  perhaps  even  more 
than  its  intrinsic  value,  because  just  as  the  people  in  Europe 
have  been  willing  to  sacrifice  their  lives  for  the  Legion  of 
Honor  or  for  the  Victoria  cross  or  for  the  iron  cross,  these 
representatives  of  this  exposition  in  the  medals,  represent- 
ing over  four  centuries  of  effort  on  the  part  of  the  human 
race  in  the  building  of  this  civilization  here  on  the  western 
coast,  typify  and  represent  the  mighty  work  of  the  United 
States  government  and  the  people  in  building  the  canal; 
they  typify  and  represent  the  work  and  energy  and  sacri- 
fice of  the  people  of  San  Francisco  in  the  rebuilding  of  our 
city,  and  last,  and  perhaps  more  important,  they  typify 
and  represent  the  hope  of  the  future  in  the  lessons  learned  in 
this  exposition,  in  art  and  in  learning  and  in  good  road 
building,  in  engineering  and  in  all  the  achievements  of 
mankind  during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century.  So,  Mr. 
Chairman,  in  behalf  of  President  Moore  and  the  directors 
of  this  exposition,  I  wish  to  present  to  Mr.  George  W.  Till- 
son,  president  of  the  American  Road  Builders'  Association, 
this  bronze  medal,  expressing  the  gratitude  and  apprecia- 
tion of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  exposition  for  the  mag- 
nificent work  you  are  doing  in  behalf  of  the  common  cause 
of  humanity  and  of  your  presence  here  today.  (Applause.) 

Response  by  Geo.  W.  Tillson 

Mr.  Director,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  I  must  admit  that 
when  I  was  told  that  it  would  be  my  duty  to  respond  to 
the  speech  made  on  the  presentation  of  this  medal  for  the 
association  which  I  represent,  I  felt  that  it  was  a  very 
pleasant  one,  not,  as  some  of  my  friends  might  say,  because 
I  was  asked  to  speak,  but  because  I  was  surprised  and 
pleased  to  know  that  the  exposition  was  taking  official  notice 
of  our  efforts  here.  When  the  American  Road  Builders' 
Association  decided  to  come  to  California  to  co-operate  with 
this  meeting  we  hoped  that  by  coming  we  would  be  able 
to  bring  some  ideas  of  road  building  from  the  East  that 


222  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

would  be  of  some  benefit  to  the  road  builders  of  the  Pacific 
coast.  We  felt  9  that  by  coming  we  would  gain  enough 
information  from  the  Pacific  coast,  both  technical  and  non- 
technical, that  would  far  repay  us  for  any  trouble  or  any 
expense  that  we  had  been  put  to  in  this  coming.  We 
know  now  that  the  second  idea  was  correct;  we  know  now 
that  we  have  gained  enough  by  this  gathering  to  more  than 
repay  us  for  everything  that  we  have  done  and  for  any 
sacrifices  we  may  have  made.  I  hope  that  I  have  been 
in  this  California  climate  long  enough,  if  only  for  a  week, 
to  have  imbued  myself  with  that  California  spirit,  that  Cali- 
fornia flow  of  language,  that  California  peculiar  eloquence 
that  will  convince  a  man  that  what  he  is  saying  is  true, 
so  that  when  I  go  back  East  to  the  members  of  my  as- 
sociation who  were  not  able  to  come  out  here  with  us 
1  can  tell  them  and  make  them  believe  the  wonderful  things 
that  we  have  seen  here  in  this  city;  the  wonderful  things 
that  we  have  seen  in  traversing  this  coast, — as  I  have  seen 
it  from  the  northern  line  of  the  United  States  to  the  south- 
ern,— and  that  I  will  be  able  to  make  them  believe  all  these 
tilings.  But  if  my  words  will  not  do  this  I  will  have  with 
me  some  .  physical  thing  that  will  be  positive  proof  that 
the  exposition  officials  have  recognized  our  efforts  and  have 
realized  something  of  what  we  were  attempting  to  do.  So, 
Mr.  Director,  in  behalf  of  the  Road  Builders'  Association 
of  America,  I  wish  to  thank  you  most  cordially  and  heartily 
for  this  plaque  which  typifies,  as  it  does,  ideas  and  senti- 
ments so  appropriately  voiced  by  you,  and  to  assure  you 
that  it  will  always  be  kept  in  the  archives  of  the  American 
Road  Builders'  Association  with  a  great  deal  of  pride.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

DIRECTOR  BROWN:  This  is  evidently  a  wholesale  pres- 
entation because  we  have  so  many  distinguished  men  and  so 
many  distinguished  associations  with  us  today  that  we  have 
got  a  whole  flock  of  medals  to  present,  so  you  will  have  to 
bear  with  me  for  a  few  moments.  We  have  endeavored 
in  all  these  presentations  as  much  as  we  possibly  could 
to  talk  as  little  shop  and  to  tell  you  as  little  of  our  own 
exposition  business  as  possible,  but  I  feel  that  I  am  not 
trespassing  here  upon  good  nature,  nor  upon  the  amenities 
of  life,  in  telling  you  that  when  California  undertook  the 
holding  of  this  great  exposition  the  people  of  all  the  state 
put  their  shoulders  back  of  the  enterprise;  and  when  you 
consider  that  the  citizens  of  California  raised  over  twenty 
million  dollars  for  the  building  of  this  exposition  and  that 
we  did  not  receive  a  single  dollar  of  money  from  the  United 
States  government,  that  we  have  built  the  buildings  and 
have  built  the  grounds  and  are  now  out  of  debt;  also  when 
you  consider  that  simultaneously  with  raising  this  twenty 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  223 

million  of  dollars  for  the  exposition  the  people  of  California 
at  the  same  time  voted  eighteen  million  dollars  for  the 
building  of  good  roads  (applause)  throughout  the  state  of 
California,  and  simultaneously  voted  nine  million  dollars 
for  the  building  of  the  wharves  and  docks  of  the  city  to 
take  care  of  the  ships  coming  through  the  canal,  I  think 
you  will  realize  that  we  were  very  much  in  earnest  and 
we  hope  that  you  will  carry  back  with  you  the  message  that 
we  gave  to  the  people  of  Washington  five  years  ago  when 
we  first  asked  the  honor  of  holding  this  exposition  in  behalf 
of  the  United  States  government  to  celebrate  the  comple- 
tion of  the  Panama  canal,  and  that  message  was:  "The 
West  always  makes  good."  (Applause.)  It  is  now  my  great 
privilege  to  present  in  behalf  of  our  president  and  the  di- 
rectors to  Mr.  Gash,  for  the  American  Highway  Associa- 
tion this  bronze  medal,  because  we  want  these  different  as- 
sociations to  know  that  the  people  of  California  have  fol- 
lowed the  example  that  you  people  set  and  are  building  the 
good  roads  as  rapidly  as  we  can.  (Applause.) 

Response  by  A.  D.  Gash 

Mr.  Director,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  It  gives  me  pleas- 
ure on  behalf  of  the  American  Highway  Association  to 
accept  this  beautiful  medal  as  an  emblem  from  this  great 
Panama  exposition.  In  the  language  of  Keats,  "A  thing  of 
beauty  is  a  joy  forever,  its  loveliness  increases.  It  will 
never  pass  into  nothingness."  We  are  here  today  in  the 
capacity  of  road  builders  of  the  United  States  attending 
the  most  beautiful  exposition  that  was  ever  given  perhaps 
ir  the  history  of  the  human  family.  We  are  here  upon  a 
mission  that  perhaps  is  the  most  important  of  any  that 
has  ever  confronted  the  human  family.  There  is  nothing 
so  important  to  the  individual  aside  from  his  home  and 
his  family  as  the  means  of  access  to  the  marts  of  the 
world,  to  his  place  of  pleasure  and  his  place  of  business, 
and  that  means  of  access  is  known  as  our  highway.  We  are 
here  advocating  in  our  various  capacities  the  construction 
of  these  the  most  important  of  our  public  utilities,  the 
highways  of  our  common  country,  of  the  best  materials 
that  can  be  afforded  in  each  community  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

The  American  Highway  Association  was  formed  in  1910, 
I  believe,  for  the  purpose  of  harmonizing  principally  all  of 
the  various  road  builders'  associations  in  the  United  States 
of  America.  Harmony  is  the  order  of  the  universe,  and 
when  you  can  bring  true  harmony  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  world  so  that  all  races  of  the  human 
family  will  be  in  accord  with  each  other,  and  also  when 
we  have  good  roads  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  world,  then,  indeed,  will  genuine  happiness  come 


224  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

to  the  human  family.  (Applause.)  Then,  indeed,  will  we 
become  better  acquainted,  and  acquaintance  with  our  fel- 
lows makes  us  think  more  of  them.  When  you  become 
acquainted  with  your  fellow  man  you  invariably  think  more 
of  him,  and  when  we  all  know  each  other  as  brothers 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  world  we  will 
not  have  then,  I  apprehend,  one-half  of  the  world  on 
fire  with  the  greatest  war  that  was  ever  going  on  in  his- 
tory raging  on  the  globe.  Then  it  will  be  that  the  swords 
shall  be  beaten  into  plowshares,  and  the  spears  into  pruning 
hooks.  Then  brotherly  love,  truth  and  justice  will  prevail 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  world.  To  en- 
courage better  acquaintance  and  everything  conducive  to 
this  end,  as  we  road  builders  believe  we  are  doing,  is  one 
of  the  greatest  pursuits  men  can  be  engaged  in.  It  is 
the  universal  work,  the  work  that  fills  the  spacious  earth. 
It  is  so  great  that  it  leads  me  into  the  classics,  it  leads 
me  to  say  in  the  language  of  Homer: 

"Like  leaves   on   trees  the  race  of  men  is  found, 
"Now  green  in  youth,  now  withering  on  the  ground, 
"The  following  spring  another  race  supplies, 
"They  fall  successive  and  successive  rise, 
"So  generations  in  their  course  decay, 
"So  flourish  these  when  those  have  passed  away; 
"But  if  thou  still  persist  to  search  my  berth 
"Then    hear   a   tale,    that   fills    the-  spacious    earth." 
The  story  of  man  is  a  story  that  fills  the  spacious  earth. 
The  story  of  good  roads,  the  story  of  highways,  is  a  story 
that  fills  the  spacious  earth,  and  could  all  the  wealth  that 
is  expended  for  fleets  and  guns  and  war  equipment  and  for 
the  tearing  down  of  property  and  the  destruction  of  human 
beings   by   war   be    expended    on   the    roads,    the    highways 
of  the  world,  for  a  period  of  one  generation,  twenty  years, 
that  is  passing  at  the  present  time,  every  highway  on  the 
face  of  the  earth  could  be  builded  to  every  home  of  stone 
and    be    built    as    smooth    and    hard    as    adamant.      In    the 
language  of  Shakespeare,  that  would  be  "A  consummation 
devoutly  to  be  wished."     But  the  other  is  so  horrible  that 
it  has   even   impaired  the   attendance   at  this   great   exposi- 
tion that  we  are  attending  here  today. 

I  have  no  doubt  that  had  the  war  in  Europe  not  have 
been  going  on  and  could  all  of  the  people  of  the  world 
have  turned  their  eyes  to  the  great  Panama  exposition 
that  commemorates  the  building  of  this  greatest  of  all  public 
highways,  the  Panama  canal,  that  the  attendance  at  this 
exposition,  although  it  has  been  large,  would  have  been 
doubled,  Mr.  Chairman.  So  that  it  gives  us  unbounded 
pleasure  to  attend  this  exposition  and  to  hear  the  words 
of  cheer  that  were  given  by  the  director  here  today  when 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  225 

he  said  that  this  exposition  and  the  Panama  canal  were 
built  for  the  future  peace  and  civilization  of  man.  It  is 
a  pleasure  to  be  here  and  on  behalf  of  this  organization 
to  accept  this  medal  from  this  great  exposition  whose  ob- 
jects are  so  splendid,  and  I  might  say,  glorious,  if  glorious 
can  be  applied  to  the  work  of  man.  It  gives  me  particular 
pleasure,  Mr.  Director,  to  accept  this  medal  on  behalf  of 
the  American  Highway  Association  and  to  assure  you  like 
the  former  speaker  that  it  will  be  treasured  by  them  as  long 
as  it  is  an  organization,  and  we  hope  that  will  be  until  every 
road  in  the  United  States  is  in  proper  repair  and  construct- 
ed of  the  proper  material.  (Applause.) 

DIRECTOR  BROWN:  Mr.  Gash's  remarks  bring  with 
them  such  a  host  of  memories  that  I  am  constrained  to  say  to 
you  that  when  this  awful  conflagration  in  Europe  took  place 
our  exposition  was  nearing  completion.  Some  of  the  weak- 
er-hearted ones  wanted  us  to  take  the  last  few  dollars  that 
we  had  left  in  the  treasury  and  advertise  that  the  exposi- 
tion was  postponed  for  a  year,  but  after  careful  delibera- 
tion it  was  decided  that  as  California,  in  behalf  of  the 
United  States,  had  given  its  word  that  this  exposition  would 
open  on  February  20,  1915,  that  we  would  open  on  that 
day  if  not  a  single  soul  came  through  the  turnstiles,  be- 
cause we  were  determined  to  keep  faith  with  the  people  of 
this  nation  and  the  people  of  the  world  that  had  honored  us 
by  their  presence.  So  I  want  you  also  to  bear  just  this 
thought  in  mind,  that  in  the  midst  of  that  terrible  con- 
flagration in  Europe  this  is  the  only  spot  in  all  the  world 
where  all  the  nations  of  the  world  meet  in  common  accord 
and  amity  and  good  fellowship.  So  perhaps  even  if  the 
attendance  is  not  half  as  large  as  it  would  otherwise  have 
been  this  exposition  and  your  presence  here  today  may  be 
ar.  exemplar  to  the  rest  of  the  world,  because  this  ex- 
position has  been  held  successfully  in  the  midst  of  the 
greatest  disaster  of  all  ages,  and  the  people  of  the  United 
States  have  expressed  their  confidence  in  California  and 
the  directorate  as  you  have  done.  Hence,  is  it  any  wonder 
that  we  of  the  exposition  have  learned  to  speak  the  uni- 
versal language  of  gratitude  in  endeavoring  to  express  the 
gratitude  that  we  really  feel  for  the  people  who  have  helped 
us  put  this  thing  through  successfully? 

Now,  the  next  association  is  one  filled  with  peculiarly 
close  and  pleasant  memories,  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads 
Association.  Oregon,  Washington  and  California  are  the 
three  sister  states  that  in  the  coming  years  are  destined 
to  play  perhaps  the  most  important  role  in  the  world's  his- 
tory, and  when  the  Panama  canal  was  completed  it  made 
the  harbor  of  Puget  Sound,  the  harbor  of  San  Francisco,  of 
Los  Angeles  and  San  Diego  the  front  doors  of  the  nation 


226  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

instead  of  the  back  doors.  It  is  up  to  the  people  of  the 
Tri-State  Good  Roads  Association  to  complete  this  great 
work  now  by  linking  these  three  sister  states  of  ours  so 
that  the  people  can  drive  from  the  borders  of  British  Col- 
umbia down  through  Washington,  Oregon  and  California, 
past  the  most  wonderful  scenery  in  the  world,  and  when  that 
has  been  accomplished  I  think  I  can  truthfully  say  that  the 
Pacific  coast  will  indeed  become  the  play  garden  of  the 
nation.  I  have  seen  many  people  who  have  made  the  trip, 
and  have  expressed  their  opinion  comparing  this  coast  trip 
and  the  best  roads  in  Europe,  and  while  they  say,  of  course, 
that  we  have  not  yet  reached  the  high  ideal  that  some  of 
the  European  roads  have,  yet  in  all  that  stands  for  magni- 
ficent scenery,  in  all  that  stands  for  comfort  and  in  all  that 
stands  for  the  higher  uplift  for  the  human  race,  these  roads 
on  the  western  coast  of  America  are  the  best  in  the  world, 
because  there  is  an  utter  absence  of  that  povery  that  is  so 
distressing  in  some  of  the  older  nations  of  Europe. 

I  think  that  we  of  the  western  coast,  while  we  bow  al- 
legiance to  the  men  of  the  East  for  having  set  us  the 
noble  example  they  have,  yet  we  make  that  close  appeal  to 
our  sister  states  of  Oregon  and  Washington  to  let  us  go 
together,  hand  in  hand,  with  our  faces  set  hopefully  and 
cheerfully  to  the  future,  in  order  that  together  we  may 
work  out  a  destiny  that  awaits  these  three  great  states  of  the 
Pacific  coast.  I  think  I  may  say  that  the  building  of  the 
good  roads  is  the  most  important  factor,  indeed,  in  the 
advancement  of  our  civilization,  our  culture  and  above  all 
our  humanity  and  our  service  to  the  world.  So,  Mr.  Mac- 
Kenzie,  it  is  with  the  deepest  note  of  gratitude  that  we  of 
California  and  of  this  exposition  make  our  acknowledg- 
ments to  our  sister  states  of  Oregon  and  Washington  for 
what  they  have  done  to  help  us  make  good  in  this  exposi- 
tion, and  to  unite  the  three  states  in  that  broad  span  of  a 
highway  that  will  link  us  together  forever.  (Presents  medal.) 
(Applause.) 

Response  by  C.  L.  MacKenzie 

Mr.  Director,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Pan-American 
Road  Congress:  After  listening  to  the  eloquent  words  of 
the  director  of  the  exposition  who  has  so  graciously  extended 
to  us  members  of  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads  Association 
this  tablet  of  recognition,  and  to  the  eloquent  words  of  those 
gentlemen  of  the  Eastern  Highway  Associations  who  are 
visiting  with  us  at  the  present  time,  it  has  aroused  emotions 
within  my  breast  that  if  I  were  an  orator  I  would  make 
a  speech  to  you  that  I  believe  would  fully  represent  these 
Pacific  coast  states;  but  I  am  not  a  speaker.  I  extend  in  a 
few  words  the  feeling  and  appreciation  that  we  have  for 
these  men  of  San  Francisco,  we  men  of  the  north,  of  the 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  227 

states  of  Washington  and  of  Oregon,  for  the  great  work 
that  they  have  done  for  the  Pacific  coast  in  the  inspiration 
of  the  idea,  the  creation  of  this  exposition,  in  maintaining 
it  to  its  present  magnitude;  and  to  say  to  them  that  all  men 
of  the  Pacific  coast,  speaking  with  a  knowledge  of  my  own 
section,  feel  proud  of  their  efforts.  Their  memories  will 
live  in  the  minds  of  the  many  thousands  who  have  seen 
the  '  beauties  of  this  exposition,  who  have  been  benefited 
from  its  educational  advantages,  .  long  after  the  turnstiles 
have  clicked  on  the  last  admission  and  the  green  sod  of 
the  Presidio  has  come  back  into  its  own.  They  create  an 
exposition  greater  than  that  ever  created  before,  and  we 
take  it  entirely  as  a  tribute  to  the  genius  of  these  men  of 
San  Francisco.  We  of  Oregon  and  Washington  were  witli 
you  in  spirit  and  contributed  in  a  small  way  financially,  but 
il  was  due  to  the  indomitable  spirit  of  these  men  of  San. 
Francisco  that  we  must  give  full  credit  for  the  creation,  the 
completion  and  the  management  of  this  beautiful  exposi~ 


To  those-  of  us  who  are  here  with  a  .mission,  so  beautifully 
.expressed  fry  Mr.  Tillson,  this  day  should  be  an  inspiration- 
and  ;should  consecrate  us  to  another  year  of  worthy  .effort 
•in  th£  furthering  of  the  cause  that  is  so  near  and  .dear  to  all 
of-,  us,  that,  are-;  doing  the  best  in  our  ability  -towards  the 
improving  ;  of  the  highways  on  the  Pacific  coast.  .  .  Speaking 
a/s  the  representative  of  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads  Associa- 
tion,: Mr.  Director,  we  accept  this  tribute  .with  gratitude  and 
thank  you.  We  in  our  humble  way  shall  endeavor  to  the 
best  of  our  ability  to  be  worthy  of  this  emblem  ;ypu  have 
given  us*  (Applause.):  .  ,...•-,  .  ';  ... 

DIRECTOR  BROWN:  This  is  positively  the  last  one, 
so  take  heart.  There  is  an  old  aphorism  out  West,  and  you 
can  all  trace  its  derivation,  that  whenever  you  see  a  man 
by<  the  name  of  Hill  you  always  see  a  big  Hill,  because 
ever  since  Jim  Hill  placed  that  great  steel  highway  across 
the  northern  part  of,  this  continent  and  united  the  Great 
Lakes  with  Puget  Sound  we  of  the  West'  have  always  had 
the  highest  veneration  for  any  man  by  the  name  of  Hill. 
I  think  you  will  agree  with  me  that  it  is  only  fitting  and 
proper  that  a  man  of  the  same  name  should  now  be  blazing 
the  trail  of  the  big  highway  from  Alaska  to  Mexico:  You 
can  well  understand  how  these  men  of  vision  by  the  name 
of  Hill  could  see  what  the  future  had  in  store  for  us.  And 
if  we  will  look  back  only  a  matter  of  a  half  a  century  when 
we  first  obtained  Alaska,  and  it  was  called  Seward's  Folly, 
and  the  price  he  paid,  some  seven  millions  of  dollars,  was 
regarded  as  that  much  money  thrown  away;  when  we  con- 
template that  that  empire  of  Alaska  is  now  turning  but 
more  gold  than  any  other  part  of  the  Union,  and  when 


228  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

we  discover  its  wonderful  wealth  of  fisheries  and  its  forests 
and  even  its  agricultural  possibilities,  we  realize  that  the 
same  vision  that  prompted  Secretary  Seward  to  obtain 
Alaska  must  have  prompted  Mr.  Hill  to  conceive  the  idea 
of  the  Pacific  highway  Association! 

What  a  picture!  From  Alaska's  vast  mountains  of  ice 
to  Mexico's  sunny  clime!  What  is  there  left  in  the  world 
to  contemplate  when  Mr.  Hill  has  accomplished  his  pur- 
pose? We  can  very  well  feel,  as  one  old  man  expressed 
it,  that  God  Almighty  practiced  on  the  rest  of  the  world 
and  then  made  the  Pacific  coast  just  to  show  what  he  could 
do.  (Applause.)  I  wish  it  were  possible  to  express  to 
you  the  gratitude  that  we  of  the  exposition  really  feel  for 
the  men  who  have  devoted  years  of  their  lives  to  this 
service  of  humanity,  because  I  can  speak  feelingly  from 
experience  that  those  of  us  who  have  been  identified  with 
this  exposition  for  the  last  five  years,  have  realized  that 
virtue  must  be  its  own  reward;  because  it  is  the  only  one 
you  are  going  to  get  on  this  earth,  and  when  you  find  men 
like  your  presidents  and  chairmen  here  that  are  willing  to 
give  their  time,  their  energies,  their  money,  their  brains 
and  their  experience  to  a  cause  of  humanity,  and  to  the 
betterment  of  that  great  'word  that  has  crept  into  the 
Twentieth  Century,  "Service,"  then  I  think  we  can  truth- 
fully say  there  is  hope  for  the  human  race.  And  the  build- 
ing of  good  roads  that  you  people  have  in  hand  will  be 
the  greatest  leveler  of  all  differences  of  human  opinions  that 
it  is  possible  to  accomplish.  If  that  message  of  "peace  on 
earth  and  good  will  to  man"  is  to  prevail,  just  give  us  a 
good  highway  and  a  Ford  and  it  is  accomplished.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

Mr.  Hill,  I  am  awfully  grateful  to  you,  and  the  exposi- 
tion is,  for  the  great  undertaking  you  have  in  hand;  and 
we  know  that  like  your  illustrious  namesake,  "Jim,"  you 
will  "put  it  across."  (Presents  medal.)  (Applause.) 

Response   by    Samuel    Hill 

Mr.  Director,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  It  is  a  great  pleas- 
ure, Director  Brown,  to  receive  at  your  hands  this  medal 
on  this  occasion,  on  this  day,  in  this  building,  in  the  center 
of  this  great  exposition.  I .  was  pleased  when  you  spoke 
of  the  Pacific  coast  states.  It  seeemd  to  me  as  if  you  had 
just  got  down  after  all  to  home  folks  when  you  came  down 
to  me,  because  on  this  coast  we  like  to  feel  that  California, 
the  oldest,  the  fairest,  most  beautiful  of  all  our  states,  has 
a  kindly  feeling  and  casts  a  kindly  eye  on  Oregon  and 
Washington,  her  two  little  sisters  on  the  north. 

I  wish  I  might  speak  today  longer,  but  the  director  prom- 
ised you  that  I  should  be  the  last  and  thereby  intimated  I 
should  speak  only  a  moment,  but  I  must  take  just  a  moment 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  22» 

of  your  time.  Why,  I  feel  that  this  is,  after  all,  a  meeting 
of  only  home  folks.  I  look  back  and  I  see  Mr.  Clifford 
Richardson  from  New  York.  I  recall  how  he  organized  the 
International  Road  Congress  in  Paris  where  we  had  brought 
out  the  fact  that  there  were  three  languages  to  be  spoken 
in  our  proceedings.  I  see  Mr.  Sohier  here,  and  I  think  of 
our  meeting  again  at  Brussels  and  in  London.  I  turn  and  I 
see  Mr.  MacDonald,  the  father  of  all  the  good  roads  men 
in  America.  I  look  down  in  the  audience  and  I  see  Mr. 
Kenyon  who  sat  there  with  us  in  the  London  convention. 
I  see  Brother  Powers,  editor  of  "Good  Roads"  Magazine, 
who  has  been  present  at  every  good  roads  gathering  ever 
held.  Whichever  way  I  turn  I  am  greeted  by  a  kindly  face. 
Mr.  Tillson,  our  distinguished  president,  who  was  with  us 
at  London;  and  so  all  over  the  world,  it  has  been  our  good 
fortune  to  meet  these  friends  as  we  do  here  today,  and,, 
thanks  to  your  kind  speaker,  we  feel  ourselves  at  home. 
What  better  word  is  there  than  all  that? 

You  remember  the  fact  that  years  ago  when  the  great 
Leiber,  old  and  feeble  and  sightless,  sat  under  a  tree  and 
they  came  to  hear  him  speak,  saying,  "Tell  us,  then,  Sirer 
what  is  the  most  beautiful  land  in  all  the  world,  for  you 
have  seen  them  all,  on  the  shores  of  India,  the  gold  of  the 
sands,  the  pearls  of  Persia,  and  all  the  world?  Tell  us,  then, 
which  is  the  most  beautiful  land  in  all  the  world?"  While 
tears  streamed  down  his  cheeks,  his  hands  trembled,  his 
voice  shook,  he  said,  "Ah,  my  friends,  only  one  land  in  all 
the  world  is  more  beautiful  than  the  others,  that  is  the  land 
where  your  friends  are."  (Applause.)  So  I  may  well  feel 
happy  and  proud  today,  for  I  can  claim  friends  in  every  part 
of  this  great  country  of  ours. 

Now,  just  one  word  and  I  have  finished.  The  director 
said  that  we  had  not  yet  reached  the  acme  of  road  building; 
and  he  spoke  truly,  and  he  intimated  what  I  believe  to  be 
true,  we  never  will,  but  Mr.  Director,  when  you  said  that 
we  did  not  have  roads  in  this  country  that  matched  the 
roads  of  Europe,  I  turned  to  my  friend  and  said  you  would 
have  to  make  a  slight  correction  because  we  believe  that 
in  these  United  States  there  are  roads  to  be  found,  matched 
nowhere  else  in  all  the  world,  and  I  mean  that.  (Applause.) 
I  bow  to  Mr.  Bowlby,  Mr.  Tillson,  Mr.  MacDondald,  all 
these  men,  and  I  feel  I  speak  the  truth  when  I  say  it  is 
no  longer  necessary  to  cross  the  water  to  find  the  most  beau- 
tiful highways  in  all  the  world.  And  you  of  California,  if 
you  please  look  down  toward  the  highway  commissioners 
that  I  see  sitting  before  me,  and  know  well  that  you  have 
here  highways  that  commend  themselves  to  people  from 
all  over  the  world. 

Two  thousand  and  thirteen  years  ago  there  died  in  Japan 


230  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

the  great  emperor,  Timoji  Mu,  that  marvel,  because  they 
thought  him  divine,  and  as  they  came  together  at  his  bier 
and  paid  the  last  respects  in  doleful  silence  one  man  arose 
and  said,  "I  will  build  a  temple  more  grand  than  the  world 
has  ever  seen  so  that  people  may  come  here  and  worship 
the  spirit  of  our  departed  emperor."  Another  man  said,  "I 
will  build  a  temple  second  only  to  the  one  described,  where 
people  may  turn  and  see  it  in  the  memory  of  our  beloved 
emperor."  The  third  man  rose  and  said,  "I  know  what  I 
will  do.  I  am  not  so  rich  or  great  or  powerful  as  those 
v/ho  have  just  spoken,  but  I  will  build  a  highway  leading 
to  those  two  shrines  and  line  it  with  trees  which  will  finally 
arch  over  that  highway  that  visitors  may  walk  to  the  shrine 
and  as  they  walk  there  may  sit  there  in  the  shade  of 
the  trees."  Two  thousand  and  thirteen  years  thereafter  I 
found  the  temples  crumbled  with  decay,  but  the  great  high- 
way was  there  and  arched  over  by  the  trees  still  remaining. 
So,  Mr.  Director,  I  feel  you  have  marked  an  epoch,  have 
marked  a  great  highway  here  as  long  as  the  world  lasts  which 
we  will  always  treasure  in  memory.  This  you  have  done  for 
us  and  for  all,  because,  after  all,  my  friends,  my  word  to 
you  at  the  end  is  the  best  of  all,  most  characteristic  of  all 
of  this  great  state  of  California,  where  they  demand  of  their 
citizens  first  of  all,  service,  service  to  California,  service  to 
one's  country  and  service  to  mankind.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  We  hope  the  audience 
v/ill  remain  with  us  as  we  promised  to  give  you  a  very  inter- 
esting session  in  the  continuation  of  the  regular  work  of  the 
congress.  Perhaps  in  all  of  the  discussion  which  we  may 
have  during  this  great  week,  there  will  be  no  discussion  or 
light  shed  upon  any  part  of  this  great  movement  for  high- 
way improvement  that  so  nearly  touches  the  heart  and  the 
mind  of  the  people  of  this  country  quite  so  much  as  the  three 
topics  under  which  this  session  of  the  afternoon  will  be  held. 
The  public  not  only  require  that  which  is  done  in  their  in- 
terest to  be  well  done  but  they  want  it  honestly  done  and 
they  want  an  accounting  for  every  dollar,  and  so  as  to  satisfy 
the  public  in  regard  to  the  work  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
different  officials,  the  chairman  of  the  program  committee, 
Major  Crosby,  has  carefully  gone  over  everything  connect- 
€G  with  highway  work  so  that  the  light  of  day  may  be  shed 
upon  every  part  of  the  official  duties  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  men  who  are  in  charge  of  the  work.  And  in  no  part  of 
the  work  do  the  public  require  a  greater  knowledge  or  are 
they  inclined  to  be  more  suspicious  than  on  this  question 
of  accounting,  statistics,  and  supervision  of  work  for  which 
their  money  is  to  be  expended.  With  this  little  introductory 
I  shall  be  very  glad  to  introduce  to  you  the  presiding  officer 
of  the  afternoon  in  the  discussion  of  this  subject,  Judge  W. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  231 

S.  Worden,  Treasurer  of  the  Tri-State  Good  Roads  Associa- 
tion. 

MR.  GASH:     He  is  not  present. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  In  the  absence  of  Judge 
Worden  we  will  ask  Mr.  C.  L.  MacKenzie,  of  Washington, 
who  responded  so  eloquently  for  the  Tri-States  Good  Roads 
Association.  I  take  great  pleasure  in  introducing  Mr.  C.  L. 
MacKenzie.  (Applause.) 

(C.  L.  MacKenzie  then  took  the  chair.) 

CHAIRMAN  MACKENZIE:  I  am  only  going  to  be  the 
chairman,  you  are  going  to  be  the  meeting,  the  whole  show. 
I  am  simply  up  here  to  maintain  order  and  call  for  the 
papers  as  we  have  them  on  our  program.  Before  proceed- 
ing with  the  business  of  the  afternoon  perhaps  some  an- 
nouncements may  be  in  order. 

We  have  the  possession  of  this  hall  only  until  five-thirty 
this  afternoon,  and  it  has  been  suggested  that  the  members 
then  go  in  a  body  to  the  Liberal  Arts  building.  Mr.  Welti 
will  be  present  to  discuss  the  excursion  to  the  points  of  in- 
terest to  the  delegates  in  that  building.  I  would  say  in  con- 
nection with  this  excursion  to  the  Liberal  Arts  building  that 
ordinarily  this  building  closes  at  six  o'clock,  but  arrange- 
ments have  been  made  for  keeping  the  building  open  until  a 
later  hour  tonight  for  the  benefit  of  the  party  from  this  con- 
vention. 

The  first  paper  that  we  have  on  the  program  for  this 
afternoon  is  a  paper  on  "System  in  Highway  Accounting." 
The  paper  is  written  by  Mr.  S.  D.  Gilbert,  Auditor  of  the 
State  Highway  Commission  of  New  York.  Is  Mr.  Gilbert 
present?  If  he  is  not  present  I  am  going  to  take  the  liberty 
tc  read  his  paper  as  I  feel  it  is  a  subject  in  which  we  are  all 
greatly  interested.  At  least  I  know  the  people  in  my  state 
are  vitally  interested  in  this  topic,  and  I  think  the  reading  of 
the  paper  will  be  of  great  interest  to  you. 


System  in  Highway  Accounting 

By  S.  D.  GILBERT 
Auditor,  New  York  State  Highway  Commission 

Highway  accounting  is  so  different  from  the  ordinary 
business  accounting  that  the  system  available  for  the  latter 
cannot  be  made  adaptable  for  highway  purposes.  The  diffi- 
culty lies  in  the  fact  that  highway  accounting  has  to  do  en- 
tirely with  the  disbursement  of  money.  This  disbursement, 
if  properly  analyzed,  builds  up  a  source  of  highway  data 
which  is  invaluable. 

The  system  that  I  shall  outline  is  one  which  is  in  use 
in  the  State  Department  of  Highways  of  New  York,  which 
pays  out  directly,  or  indirectly,  more  than  twenty  million 
dollars  a  year  for  highway  purposes.  This  system  has  been 


232  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

built  up  and  made  adaptable  to  the  needs  of  the  department 
during  the  past  six  years,  since  the  department  was  organ- 
ized, and  has  proved  itself  in  both  the  pleasant  and  stormy 
weather  which  the  department  has  experienced,  by  furnish- 
ing financial  data  promptly  and  accurately  under  sometimes 
unusual  and  trying  conditions. 

There  can  be  no  formal  rule  for  highway  accounting,  but 
system  there  must  always  be.  A  system  of  accounting, 
which  may  be  adaptable  to  the  department  of  one  state,  may 
be  absolutely  useless  to  the  department  of  another  state, 
for  the  reason  that  the  conditions  under  which  departments 
are  organized  and  obliged  to  work  are  different  in  every 
state  in  the  Union,  occasioned  by  the  differences  in  the  law 
to  which  any  system  must  be  made  amenable.  I  believe 
one  of  the  most  important  questions  for  the  consideration 
of  states  spending  large  amounts  for  highway  purposes  is 
that  of  a  practical  uniformity  of  legislative  enactments  gov- 
erning such  work  and  creating  the  departments  under  which 
it  is  being  done.  By  combining  the  valuable  experience  of 
every  state  into  a  comprehensive  statute,  the  benefit  of  a 
wider  experience  in  organization  would  be  obtained,  and 
those  states  just  beginning  highway  work  would  have  the 
advantage  of  this.  Such  uniformity  in  organization  would 
bring  every  department  into  closer  relation,  and  the  results 
would  be  most  beneficial.  The  collection  of  national  high- 
way data  would  also  be  much  simplified  and  made  more  effi- 
cient by  such  a  statute. 

A  system  of  practical  highway  accounting  is  of  much  more 
importance  than  is  generally  conceded,  for  the  reason  that 
highway  accounting  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  build- 
ing of  the  backbone  of  highway  history.  Highway  history 
must  have  for  its  foundation  highway  cost,  and  every  de- 
partment of  highway  construction  or  maintenance  is  inti- 
mately related  to  it,  so  that  if  the  accounting  is  given  in 
such  detail  and  with  such  a  broad  view  of  what  is  desired  to 
be  accomplished,  not  simply  for  the  present,  but  for  the 
future,  highway  history  is  written  each  day  and  may  be  re- 
turned to  in  the  future  with  the  sure  knowledge  that  it  will 
give  accurate  information  with  reference  to  a  particular  high- 
way long  after  other  incidents  of  its  construction  or  repair 
may  have  been  forgotten.  There  is  also  the  mistake  to  be 
avoided,  and  which  is  often  made,  of  carrying  too  much  de- 
tail in  an  accounting  system,  so  that  it  loses  flexibility  and 
becomes  cumbersome,  delaying  payments  and  thereby  caus- 
ing serious  and  unnecessary  criticism  of  a  department.  I 
believe  that  it  is  the  universal  conclusion  that  where  pay- 
ments are  to  be  made  by  a  municipal  or  state  government, 
it  is  expected  that  they  will  be  long  delayed,  and  yet  with  the 
proper  system  I  know  of  no  reason  why  a  municipal  or  state 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  231 

government  may  not  make  its  disbursements  as  promptly  as 
the  most  efficient  business  organization. 

The  first  essential  in  building  up  a  system  of  highway  ac- 
counting is  a  thorough  and  comprehensive  knowledge  of 
what  is  to  be  accomplished,  together  with  a  complete  un- 
derstanding of  the  laws  governing  the  work  and  its  adapt- 
ability to  them.  The  assistance  of  expert  accounting  knowl- 
edge to  build  the  framework  of  such  a  system  may  be  used 
to  advantage,  but  as  the  system  is  applied  to  the  work  in 
its  operation,  if  it  is  to  be  practical  and  produce  the  best 
results,  it  must  be  made  adaptable  by  actual  application,  and 
unless  it  is,  it  is  not  possible  to  estimate  the  disadvantage. 
The  system  must  not  only  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
department,  but  also  must  be  in  unity  and  work  smoothly 
with  the  accounting  department  of  the  state  comptroller, 
where  the  final  audit  is  had.  Every  department  will  have 
a  large  number  of  live  appropriations  at  one  time,  from  which 
expenditures  are  being  made,  and  unless  the  accounting  sys- 
tem of  the  department  is  in  close  relation  to  that  of  the 
comptroller,  confusion  and  error  are  bound  to  follow. 

The  individual  highway  account  should  begin  with  the 
initial  survey  and  should  show  the  identity  of  the  highway 
by  name  or  number,  preferably  both;  the  county  and  town 
wherein  located;  its  length;  the  type  of  construction;  the 
date  of  the  contract;  the  amount,  and  the  contractor's  name; 
if  a  county  road,  the  percentage  to  be  paid  by  the  state  and 
by  the  county.  As  the  account  progresses  it  should  show 
the  cost  of  engineering  and  advertising;  amounts  paid  to  the 
contractor  and  from  what  source  or  appropriation;  and 
when  finished,  the  final  distribution  of  cost  between  the 
state,  county,  town,  or  city.  On  account  of  construction 
being  carried  on  under  contract  in  most  cases,  the  construc- 
tion accounting  cannot  give  as  much  detail  of  the  highway 
history  as  the  maintenance  and  repair  accounting.  The  orig- 
inal specification  of  the  highway  and  the  monthly  estimates 
which  are  paid  on  it,  however,  will  furnish  the  information 
in  the  detail  necessary  to  complete  the  construction  history. 

In  maintenance  and  repair  accounting,  greater  detail  can 
be  had  and  should  be  required,  for  the  reason  that  this  work 
is  not  as  uniform  as  construction  and  shows  a  wide  variation 
both  as  to  cost  and  as  to  type  of  work  from  year  to  year, 
so  that  this  branch  of  accounting  should  give  every  possible 
detail  of  maintenance  work  on  a  highway  in  order-  to  provide 
intelligent  information  in  the  future.  This,  of  course,  must 
necessarily  be  based  upon  the  requirements  of  the  depart- 
ment. Some  of  the  subdivisions  which  should  appear  in  the 
maintenance  accounting  of  a  highway,  which  are  descriptive 
of  the  work  done,  are  the  following: 

Whether  the  highway  is  a  state  or  county  highway; 


234  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

Its  name  and  number; 

The  county  and  town  within  which  it  is  located; 

A  sub-division  of  disbursements  under  the  headings: 

Improvements; 

Resurfacing; 

Engineering  and  inspection; 

Ordinary   repairs   to  highway   surface; 

Labor  or  material; 

Cleaning  macadam; 

Trimming  shoulders; 

Opening  ditches; 

Repairs  to  paving; 

Oil — Cost  of  spreading  and  applying — Material  for 
covering; 

Repairs  to  guard  rail; 

Repairs  to  concrete; 

Tools  and  plant; 

Patrol,  if  a  patrol  system  is  employed; 

Extraordinary  repairs. 

To  these  suggested  subdivisions  others  could  be  added 
as  found  necessary,  which  will  give  the  desired  detail  as  to 
the  important  items  of  cost,  with  the  result  that  from  year 
to  year  a  comprehensive  analysis  of  maintenance  and  repair 
work  is  being  constructed  that  not  only  applies  to  the  whole 
system,  but  to  the  individual  road,  which  is  most  important. 

All  construction  eventually  resolves  itself  into  maintenance 
and  repair,  and  unless  a  state  continues  to  make  appropria- 
tions for  construction,  construction  accounting  gradually  dis- 
appears, and  with  its  disappearance  maintenance  and  repair 
accounting  increases  in  proportion  and  remains,  as  it  is  not 
conceivable  that  a  state  will  abandon  its  investment  in  good 
roads,  and  it  therefore  must  continue  to  make  appropria- 
tions for  their  maintenance  and  repair.  In  order  that  this 
maintenance  and  repair  may  be  carried  on  economically  and 
intelligently,  the  work  of  previous  years  must  be  thoroughly 
reviewed  as  to  the  type  of  work  which  was  done  and  its  cost 
as  related  to  the  individual  road,  so  that  the  type  of  work 
may  either  be  continued  from  year  to  year,  or  changed  ac- 
cording to  its  efficiency.  In  no  ether  way  can  this  informa- 
tion be  obtained  except  from  a  properly  analyzed  and  accur- 
ately prepared  accounting  which  will  give  the  intelligible  in- 
formation necessary,  and  which,  if  it  is  available,  will  result 
in  saving  the  state  large  amounts  of  money  by  avoiding 
those  types  of  work  which  have  proved  themselves  inefficient 
and  expensive. 

It  is  extremely  easy  to  get  information  from  the  usual 
accounting  as  regards  the  whole  situation  of  disbursements. 
It  could  easily  be  shown  that  the  maintenance  and  repair 
of  a  certain  highway  for  a  certain  year  cost  a  certain  amount 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  235 

of  money,  but  unless  the  account  has  been  built  up  from  day 
to  day  in  the  manner  suggested  above,  it  will  be  very  diffi- 
cult at  some  time  in  the  future  to  find  out  just  what  kind  of 
work  was  done  on  the  individual  highway,  what  fche  analysis 
of  its  cost  is,  and  whether  from  this  analysis  the  service 
received  from  the  type  of  work  indicated  warrants  its  con- 
tinuation. 

It  is  my  experience  that  the  most  adaptable  method  of  sup- 
porting this  suggested  accounting  is  that  of  voucher  pay- 
ments, so  that  the  voucher  representing  each  individual 
payment  will  show  the  complete  distribution  of  that  payment 
to  the  different  items  entering  into  the  account.  When  the 
voucher  is  entered,  the  distribution  is  made,  and  it  is  com- 
pletely absorbed,  with  the  result  that  the  account  shows  the 
analysis  of  the  disbursements  and  is  supported  directly  by 
the  voucher  in  the  file. 

By  using  the  voucher  system  a  great  deal  of  detail  is  avoid- 
er,  and  I  would  strongly  advise  that  the  keeping  of  personal 
and  merchandise  accounts  should  be  omitted,  as  in  highway 
accounting  it  is  not  imperative  as  to  how  much  material 
has  been  purchased  from  a  firm  or  individual,  but  it  is 
important  as  to  how  much  the  material  cost  on  a  certain 
highway.  If  the  total  purchased  is  desired  at  any  time,  it 
can  easily  be  arrived  at  from  the  vouchers  in  the  files,  which 
show  all  individual  payments.  By  doing  this  a  large  amount 
of  useless  bookkeeping  can  be  avoided  and  better  results 
obtained. 

In  devising  a  system  of  accounting  it  is  impossible  to  fore- 
see the  demands  which  will  be  made  upon  it  in  the  future 
for  information  and  the  tests  to  which  it  will  be  put.  The 
only  protection,  which  a  department  can  have,  is  that  the 
accounting  system  should  be  built  up  from  the  first  with  the 
view  of  giving  the  public  as  complete  information  as  pos- 
sible and  in  as  great  detail  as  is  practicable  for  the  purpose. 
If  this  is  done,  when  the  test  comes  it  can  be  met  promptly 
and  accurately. 

No  system  can  be  outlined  completely  at  the  beginning, 
for  the  reason  that  the  details  of  the  work  constantly  change, 
and  the  system  in  order  to  be  practical  and  up  to  date  must 
change  with  it  and  adapt  itself  to  it.  By  all  means  avoid 
ruts.  Because  certain  features  of  the  system  were  adaptable 
last  year,  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  they  will  be  this 
year.  Anticipate  what  the  work  requires  and  meet  these 
requirements  promptly. 


CHAIRMAN  MAC  KENZIE:  Gentlemen,  the  paper  is  be- 
fore you  for  discussion.  The  discussion  according  to  our 
program  was  to  be  opened  by  Mr.  A.  R.  Hirst,  state  highway 
engineer  of  Wisconsin.  Is  Mr.  Hirst  present?  We  shall  be 


236  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

glad  to  listen  to  anyone  in  the  discussion  of  this  problem 
and  think  it  is  one  of  great  interest  to  those  who  have  charge 
of  that  particular  feature  of  highway  work.  Is  Mr.  Meath 
piesent?  Me  is  our  state  treasurer  and  may  have  some  ideas 
on  that.  If  there  is  no  one  who  cares  to  discuss  that  ques- 
tion we  will  take  up  the  next  topic,  "Uniformity  for  High- 
way Statistics  and  Data."  Mr.  H.  E.  Breed,  First  Deputy 
Commissioner  of  the  State  Highway  Department  of  New 
York  has  prepared  a  paper.  Mr.  Breed  is  not  present  but 
we  have  the  paper,  and  it  can  be  read  by  title  and  submitted 
to  the  secretary  as  a  matter  of  record  unless  someone  de- 
sires that  the  paper  be  read. 


Uniformity  for  Highway  Statistics  and  Data 

By  H.  ELTINGE  BREED 
First  Deputy,  New  York  State  Commission  of  Highways 

The  necessity  for  uniformity  in  highway  statistics  and 
data  cannot  be  too  strongly  emphasized.  In  spite  of  the 
fact  that  much  has  been  written  on  the  subject,  it  has  never- 
theless been  considered  of  relatively  minor  importance  not 
only  by  the  general  public,  but  even  by  the  engineering  pro- 
fession. This  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  tremendously 
rapid  development  of  highways  during  the  past  twenty 
years,  which  has  kept  engineers  too  absorbed  in  the  process 
and  problems  of  daily  construction  work  to  allow  them  much 
time  for  formulation  and  correlation  of  a  great  mass  of  sta- 
tistical material.  The  hour  has  struck,  however,  when  con- 
tinued neglect  of  this  important  branch  of  our  subject  will 
mean  waste  of  experience,  energy  and  resources.  It  is  hoped 
that  this  Pan-American  Road  Congress  may  work  out  some 
plan  according  to  which  important  facts  shall  be  recorded 
to  form  such  statistics  and  data,  as  shall  be  of  permanent 
value  to  the  engineering  profession  and  to  all  those  inter- 
ested in  the  constructing  and  maintaining  of  highways  and 
the  enactment  of  laws  relating  to  them. 

The  necessity  for  uniformity  is  obvious.  Under  the  pres- 
ent system,  many  different  highway  departments  are  doing 
similar  work  without  any  basis  for  comparison.  The  records 
of  one  are  unintelligible  to  others.  Mistakes  made  in  one 
department  are  duplicated  by  many  another.  Experiments 
are  repeated,  often  with  unsatisfactory  or  disastrous  results, 
in  a  dozen  different  places.  Every  department,  every  en- 
gineer, has  to  learn  largely  through  his  own  experience,  and 
when  this  process  involves  the  huge  sums  now  being  ex- 
pended upon  highways,  it  is  entirely  too  costly.  Were  com- 
parative statistics  available,  every  department  would  be  an 
experiment  station;  every  experiment  station  an  illumina- 
tion to  the  whole  field.  The  conscientious  engineer,  consult- 
ing such  statistics  upon  the  inception  of  any  new  work  could 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  237 

determine,  far  more  accurately  than  he  can^  today,  factors 
making  for  success  or  failure  in  it. 

Granted  the  necessity  of  having  a  uniform  system  for 
keeping  statistics  and  data,  we  must  consider  its  scope.  The 
speaker  believes  that  it  should  be  broad  and  comprehensive 
enough  to  be  of  relative  worth,  without  tying  itself  up  into 
an  agglomeration  of  red-taped  detail.  Simplicity  should  be 
its  keynote  and  motif.  It  should  be  devised  in  such  a  way 
as  to  be  intelligible  to  anyone  without  the  department  who 
came  thither  for  information,  and  it  should  give  to  all  em- 
ployees within  the  department  adequate  knowledge  of  the 
work;  its  preliminaries,  its  progress,  and  its  results.  In  such 
a  system,  only  approximate  cost  data  could  be  sought,  for 
varying  local  conditions  would  so  chan-ge  many  items  as  to 
make  them  inconclusive. 

As  it  illustrates  an  attempt  to  secure  such  a  system,  the 
speaker  will  describe  the  method  of  keeping  statistics  and 
data  with  which  he  is  most  familiar — that  employed  by  the 
Commission  of  Highways  of  the  State  of  New  York.  On 
July  15  this  department  had  $14,000,000  worth  of  construc- 
tion work  going  on,  plus  $1,325,000  worth  of  maintenance 
work.  Its  statistical  problem,  therefore,  is  large.  No  attempt 
has  been  made  to  cover  the  whole  field,  but  for  the  purposes 
of  this  paper  this  problem  has  been  considered  in  part  under 
three  heads:  First,  the  treatment  of  maps;  second,  the  tests 
and  tabulation  of  stone  and  sand;  and,  third,  the  actual  high- 
way construction  and  maintenance  data. 

The  Treatment  of  Maps 

The  department  has  three  different  styles  of  maps:  A  large 
map  of  the  state  shown  on  a  scale  of  5  miles  to  the  inch:  57 
county  maps  on  a  scale  of  2  miles  to  the  inch;  and  aditional 
county  maps  made  from  the  United  States  Government  Geo- 
logical Survey  sheets  on  a  scale  of  approximately  1  mile 
to  the  inch.  On  the  large  state  map  projected  state  high- 
ways are  shown  by  two  green  lines;  projected  county  high- 
ways are  shown  by  a  single  red  line;  state  highways  under 
construction  are  shown  by  a  black  dash  line  between  two 
green  lines;  county  highways  under  construction,  by  a  black 
dash  line  over  a  red  line;  completed  state  highways  by  a 
solid  black  line  and  green  border,  and  completed  county 
highways  by  a  plain  black  line.  Finished,  this  shows  the 
projected  state  highway  system  as  prescribed  by  legislative 
enactment,  and  county  highways  as  petitioned  for  and  laid 
out  by  legislative  enactment  and  county  boards  of  super- 
visors. In  addition  to  the  information  given  on  the  large 
state  map,  the  county  maps  show,  too,  the  number  of  con- 
tract, its  length  in  miles,  the  year  finished,  and  the  type  of 
construction.  The  topographical  map  of  each  county  on  the 
mile-to-the-inch  scale  gives  the  same  information  as  the 


238  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

county  map.  £ach  topographical  sheet  is  cut  in  six  sections 
mounted  on  linen  ^  in.  apart  so  that  they  may  be  folded 
for  pocket  use.  When  on  inspection  tours  these  maps  give 
the  essential  information  at  a  glance. 

Tabulation    of   Stone    and   Sand 

The  large  amount  of  stone  and  sand  that  passes  through 
our  testing  laboratory  makes  uniformity  in  the  keeping  of 
accurate  data  essential,  in  order  to  avoid  duplication  of 
work  and  to  preserve  information  that  will  increase  economic 
construction  and  assist  anyone  engaged  in  the  building  of 
public  highways.  In  order  to  handle  the  work  expeditious- 
ly  and  to  make  it  valuable  to  all  the  employees  of  the  de- 
partment, it  has  been  necessary  to  make  a  number  of  com- 
prehensive forms  for  the  correlation  of  the  results  of  the 
different  tests. 

•  With  every  specimen  of  stone  submitted  for  test,  the  en- 
gineer sends  with  the  sample  definite  information  about  the 
location  and  available  supply,  giving  its  exact  location  on 
the  United  States  topographical  sheet,  about  the  character 
of  rock  or  material  in  question,  the  type  of  construction  for 
which  the  same  is  intended,  and  the  results  of  any  former 
use.  In  locating  our  samples,  we  have  found  that  the  gov- 
ernment method  of  locating  by  quadrangle  is  very  helpful. 
By  it,  each  quadrangle  is  divided  into  nine  sections  and 
these  sections  are  numbered  from  one  to  nine  inclusive,  start- 
ing at  the  upper  left-hand  corner  and  numbering  across  the 
sheet  from  west  to  east.  Each  section  is  then  divided  into 
equal  spaces,  lettered  from  A  to  V  inclusive,  from  west  to 
east,  and  numbered  from  one  to  thirty-five  inclusive,  from 
north  to  south,  the  numbers  and  letters  serving  as  co- 
ordinates for  the  point  in  this  section  from  which  the  sam- 
ples were  taken.  As  nearly  as  may  be  roughly  determined, 
the  maximum  limit  of  error  would  be  somewhere  in  the 
neighborhood  of  800  ft.,  which  is  practically  inappreciable 
for  the  work  involved.  Such  an  information  slip  accompan- 
ies every  stone  sample  to  the  laboratory  and  also  accom- 
panies the  report  of  test  when  the  report  is  made  on  the 
specimen.  The  location  of  the  source  from  which  this  sam- 
ple was  taken  is  then  plotted  on  our  office  map  which  shows 
the  highway  system,  as  described  above.  These  maps  are 
very  useful,  especially  in  looking  up  sources  of  material  when 
we  again  have  construction  work  in  the  same  vicinity.  For 
all  future  requirements  the  record  given  for  this  material 
gives  us  a  service  test  of  the  same. 

In  our  stone  tests  the  following  determinations  are  made: 
Gravity,  absorption,  coefficient  of  wear,  hardness,  and,  tough- 
ness. In  order  to  have' a  figure  which  will  enable  one  quickly 
to  compare  the  relative  values  of  two  or  more  stones,  we 
have  a  figure  which  we  have  designated  as  a  weighted  value. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 


239 


240 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 


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242  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

This  is  obtained  as  follows:  To  each  of  the  items,  abrasion, 
hardness  and  toughness,  we  affix  a  weight,  giving  3  to  the 
French  coefficient  of  wear  (abrasion)  as  being  the  most  im- 
portant; assigning  2  to  the  hardness  test  as  being  second 
in  importance  and  reliability;  while  to  the  toughness  the 
weight  of  1  is  given.  These  three  weighted  results  are  added 
together,  giving  the  weighted  value  of  the  stone  tested.  All 
are  tabulated  on  cards  for  the  purpose  with-  the  other  in- 
formation mentioned  above,  as  well  as  the  location,  owner, 
available  supply,  water,  where  used,  etc.  Furthermore,  these 
tests  are  collated  on  one  sheet  for  each  county,  listed  under 
headings  giving  the  character  of  the  stone  found  in  the 
county.  The  weighted  value  is  placed  on  our  map,  it  being 
of  great  aid  when  approving  or  disapproving  stone  for  use 
from  these  different  localities. 

This  information  of  course  is  not  without  its  limitations. 
In  many  instances  the  chief  in  the  office  is  unable  to  judge 
by  the  previous  information  that  he  has  on  hand  of  tests  al- 
ready made,  whether  sufficient  examination  has  been  made  on 
the  ground.  Often  it  has  been  found  that  a  more  compre- 
hensive field  survey  will  develop  a  supply  of  stone  and  sand 
which  was  not  found  upon  first  examination,  thus  cheapen- 
ing, in  many  cases,  the  cost  of  construction.  And,  too,  the 
division  by  county  is  rather  a  rough  determination,  though 
it  is  considered  fine  enough  for  the  work  in  hand,  as  we 
also  take  into  account  the  geologic  formation  when  taking 
action  on  the  various  tests. 

The  results  of  these  tests  are  reported  in  duplicate  to  the 
division  engineer  in  whose  territory  the  sample  was  taken. 
This  allows  him  to  preserve  in  his  files  a  copy  of  the  same 
and  also  to  transmit  a  copy  to  the  engineer  who  is  in  actual 
charge  of  construction.  By  this  means  a  two-fold  purpose 
is  attained,  as  the  data  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  division 
engineer  for  his  use  and  future  reference,  and  serves  as  well 
to  educate  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  work  by  familiariz- 
ing him  with  the  various  materials  which  he  employs. 

The  test  for  sand  is  not  quite  so  elaborate  as  that  for 
stone,  but  as  there  is  great  variation  in  the  supply  obtained 
in  many  cases,  we  have  provided  kits  for  men  in  the  field 
which  enable  them  to  check  the  loam  determination  and 
also  to  make  some  of  the  mesh  analyses.  With  sands  the 
following  determinations  are  made:  Per  cent,  of  loam  and 
its  occurrence,  that  is,  whether  it  occurs  in  free  state  or 
has  a  tendency  to  coat  the  grains;  the  effect  of  washing 
upon  the  sand;  percentage  of  voids  by  mesh  analysis,  using 
the  following  sieves:  ft,  No.  6,  No.  20,  No.  50,  No.  100  and 
No.  200.  The  natural  and  washed  sands  are  also  made  up 
into  2-in.  cubes  for  compression  tests,  using  a  standard 
brand  of  cement.  At  the  same  time  we  make  a  compression 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS          %  243 

specimen,  using  the  same  cement  and  a  20:30  Ottawa  sand. 
The  results  obtained  on  the  natural  and  washed  sands  at 
the  end  of  7  and  28  days  .are  compared  with  results  ob- 
tained on  the  specimen  made,  using  the  Ottawa  sand  as 
a  standard,  our  requirements*  being  that  the  natural  sand, 
if  it  is  to  be  used  in  any  of  our  concrete  pavements,  shall 
show  a  compression  at  least  equal  to  that  of  Ottawa  sand. 
It  must  also  be  free  from  organic  matter  and  reasonably 
free  from  loam,  our  specifications  stating  that  5  per  cent, 
of  loam  will  mean  rejection.  Sand  used  for  other  structures 
such  as  culverts,  foundations,  etc.,  must  show  a  compression 
strength  of  at  least  80  per  cent,  of  that  obtained  with  Ottawa 
sand. 

This  elaborate  detail  test  of  sand  may  appear  to  be  useless 
work,  but  it  has  been  proven  by  results  obtained  that  in 
order  to  have  successful  concrete  pavements,  the  sand  form- 
ing the  matrix  must  be  as  carefully  and  judiciously  selected 
as  the  cement  that  forms  a  part  of  the  same.  Our  experience 
has  been  that  many  failures  in  this  type  of  construction  are 
entirely  due  to  poor  sand.  Concrete  to  withstand  abrasion 
and  tensile  and  compressive  stresses,  is  only  as  strong  as 
the  matrix  composing  it.  The  inconsistency  of  present  day 
practice  is  shown  by  testing  the  one  important  ingredient 
(cement)  with  a  fine  degree  of  precision,  and  trusting  the 
other  equally  important  ingredient  (sand)  to  visual  guess- 
work. 

Highway  Construction  and  Maintenance  Data 

As  this  is  one  of  the  most  important  items  for  the  con- 
sideration of  uniformity,  I  shall  endeavor  to  give  a  descrip- 
tion of  our  system  somewhat  in  detail,  chiefly  for  the  pur- 
pose of  emphasizing  the  necessity  for  uniformity  and  for 
the  keeping  of  this  kind  of  statistics.  Probably  every  munic- 
ipality and  state  engaging  in  the  improvement  of  highways 
and  pavements  has  some  form  or  other  which  covers  this 
class  of  data,  and  some  effort  should  be  made  to  reduce 
the  ultimate  results  to  standardized  units  flexible  enough  to 
cover  all  constructive  and  maintenance  matter  and  relative 
enough  to  permit  an  intelligible  exchange  of  this  data  be- 
tween different  departments.  These  statistics  are  outlined 
with  the  idea  of  placing  in  the  hands  of  the  designing  en- 
gineer a  rough  relative  cost  of  the  types  of  pavement,  giving 
the  kind  of  material  used,  the  density  of  traffic  carried,  its 
growth  invited  by  the  improvement,  and  the  life  of  the  pave- 
ment, so  that  he  can  in  the  consideration  of  a  new  problem, 
have  always  before  him  a  service  test  of  magnitude  equal 
to  that  of  the  undertaking  to  be  considered.  This  informa- 
tion should  also  be  of  equal  value  to  the  maintenance  engi- 
neer as  a  record  of  the  results  gained  from  the  expenditure 
of  money  from  year  to  year  on  different  types,  giving  him 
adequate  data  on  which  to  formulate  new  kinds  of  treatment 


244  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

along  lines   giving  the   greatest   satisfaction   and   to   discard 
methods   proven   by   use   to   be   unreliable. 

For  the  purpose  of  collating  this  data,  the  department 
has  adopted  three  cards,  one  of  which  is  designed  to  show  all 
construction  data,  both  general  and  specific,  giving  its  in- 
formation in  such  manner  as  will  be  available  and  intel- 
ligible to  the  general  public  as  well  as  to  the  engineer. 

General  Data. — Under  this  heading  are  grouped  such  gen- 
eral features  as  highway  number,  name  of  highway,  etc.  In 
general  we  have  two  classes  of  highways,  State  highways, 
built  wholly  by  the  State,  and  county  highways,  built  by  the 
State  and  county  together,  for  which  the  State  pays  from  65 
to  85  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost.  In  order  that  they  may 
be  distinguished  by  their  numbers,  numbers  from  1  to  5,000 
are  used  to  distinguish  county  highways,  and  from  5,000  to 
9,000  to  distinguish  State  highways.  Those  above  nine  thou- 
sand are  used  for  the  purpose  of  designating  roads  originally 
constructed  by  a  county  or  town  for  which  the  burden  of 
maintenance  has  since  been  assumed  by  the  State. 

Our  cards  are  indexed  under  their  highway  number  and 
our  files  are  arranged  numerically.  The  name  of  the  high- 
way is  generally  taken  from  the  city,  village  or  other  well 
known  point  at  each  terminus  of  the  road;  as  for  example, 
Albany-Schenectady  Highway.  If  too  long  for  one  contract, 
it  is  designated  as  parts  1,  2,  3,  etc.  This  name  system  further 
serves  to  locate  the  highway,  and,  therefore,  appears  on 
the  card.  The  length  in  miles,  the  name  of  the  county,  the 
route  and  section  number,  if  a  State  highway,  as  well  as  the 
petition  number,  if  a  county  highway,  and  the  length  and 
type  in  each  town  and  corporation  are  given  to  complete  the 
location.  The  contractor's  name  and  address  are  also  given, 
as  well  as  the  amount  of  the  engineer's  estimate,  the  estimated 
engineering  and  advertising  charges,  and  also  the  amount  of 
the  total  appropriation  with  the  respective  subdivisions  of 
this  amount  into  state,  county  and  corporation  charges. 
The  actual  cost  placed  opposite  to  the  foregoing  shows  at 
once  how  carefully  the  engineers  were  estimating.  Space  has 
also  been  provided  to  show  the  amount  spent  in  agreements, 
which  is  the  term  used  for  any  extra  work  or  change  in 
type.  Finally  the  date  of  the  contract  and  the  date  of 
acceptance  complete  the  general  record.  This  card  probably 
is  of  value  only  to  the  department,  and  is  used  most  often 
by  the  deputy  commissioners,  the  secretary,  and  the  financial 
bureau. 

Specific  Data. — The  main  subdivisions  under  specific  data 
are  widths,  materials  and  costs.  Space  is  provided  for  three 
types  of  pavement,  as  we  often  have  that  number  on  one 
road.  The  length  and  width  of  pavement  and  roadway  are 
shown  for  each  type.  Under  materials  of  construction  are 
given  the  kind  and  thickness  of  the  foundation,  of  the  bot- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 


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250  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

torn  and  top  courses  and  of  binder  and  surfacing  used. 
Under  foundation  will  appear  such  forms  of  construction  as 
telford,  sub-base,  etc.  Binder  will  show  water  for  water 
bound;  asphalt  and  tar  for  bituminous;  grout  for  brick  roads, 
etc.  Surfacing  includes  wearing  course  and  oil,  tar  or 
glutrin  treatment,  etc.  Costs  are  figured  on  the  per  yard 
and  per  mile  basis,  using  16  ft.  of  pavement  and  26  ft.  of 
roadway  as  the  standard  in  width.  The  reason  for  the 
adoption  of  these  widths  is  that  they  are  the  most  general 
type  in  use  in  New  York. 

As  the  width  of  pavement  many  times  varies  from  12  to 
SO  ft.  where  the  width  of  roadway  varies  from  24  to  SO  ft., 
on  account  of  improvements  mainly  in  villages  and  cities, 
the  necessity  for  the  above  standard  for  comparison  is 
obvious.  Both  preliminary  and  final  estimates  are  shown. 
The  square  yards  of  mileage  in  a  26-ft.  roadway  are  given 
as  a  basis  for  computing  cost  of  excavation.  A  total  excava- 
tion in  cubic  yards  and  the  number  of  cubic  yards  per  mile 
of  26-ft.  roadway  are  given  to  show  whether  the  excavation 
was  light  or  heavy.  The  number  of  cubic  yards  for  mis- 
cellaneous foundation  and  its  cost  per  mile  are  given  to 
show  the  amounts  of  extra  foundation  course  that  are  re- 
quired owing  to  bad  soil  conditions.  These  specific  data 
are  of  great  value  in  properly  forecasting  future  work  and 
if  a  system  for  uniformity  can  be  devised,  much  may  be 
learned  through  them  of  benefit  to  others  engaged  in  high- 
way work. 

Data  Sheets. — In  order  that  the  commissioner,  deputy 
commissioners,  division  engineers  and  other  employees  may 
have  reliable  data,  so  as  readily  to  compare  different  high- 
ways under  the  same  and  varying  conditions,  both  in  regard 
to  construction  and  maintenance,  the  material  on  the  cards 
as  outlined  above  has  been  collated  and  placed  upon  white 
print  cloth  sheets  according  to  the  type  of  construction.  A 
legend  is  placed  at  the  top  of  the  sheet  by  which  the  dif- 
ferent classes  and  kinds  of  material  as  well  as  the  name 
of  the  manufacturers  can  be  distinguished.  The  data  on  these 
sheets  is  featured  mainly  in  material  unit  cost  per  mile  and 
maintenance  per  year.  Each  highway  occupies  one  line  and 
is  indexed  under  its  number  and  there  is  room  for  twenty- 
six  highways  on  each  sheet.  Inasmuch  as  some  highways 
are  constructed  of  several  different  types,  a  column  is  pro- 
vided for  the  total  mileage;  another  is  provided  for  the  mile- 
age of  the  type  under  consideration.  Complete  information 
such  as  kind  and  thickness  of  material  entering  into  the 
different  courses  as  well  as  the  binder  used,  are  shown  by 
abbreviations  appearing  in  the  legend.  A  column  is  pro- 
vided in  which  is  recorded  the  unit  cost  per  mile  for  the 
pavement  only;  another  for  all  other  items  of  construction 
cost;  and  a  third  for  the  total  amount  spent  for  engineer- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  251 

ing  and  advertising.  These  three  items  are  summed  up  in 
a  column  which  gives  total  cost  per  mile  and  the  equivalent 
cost  per  mile  of  a  16-ft.  pavement  is  computed  and  tabulated 
in  order  to  give  instant  comparison  between  highways  of 
the  same  or  different  types  based  on  this  standard  of  width. 
The  cost  per  square  yard  of  the  entire  pavement  and  of  the 
top  course  are  given,  experience  having  shown  that  these 
items  are  the  ones  most  often  required.  The  cost  of  the 
bottom  course  can  be  readily  obtained  by  a  little  calcula- 
tion. The  maintenance  per  year  will  be  shown  for  the 
first  and  second  years  and  also  the  total  to  date.  The  cost 
per  mile  per  year  and  per  square  yard  per  year  are  given, 
the  idea  being  to  furnish  unit  costs  that  will  allow  a  rapid 
comparison. 

For  better  study  of  the  traffic  density,  we  are  having  a 
traffic  census  taken  each  year  and  if  necessary  twice  during 
the  year,  both  before  and  after  improvement.  A  column  is 
provided  to  show  this.  This  gives  a  record  of  the  growth  of 
traffic  due  to  the  improvement,  and  further  furnishes  us 
with  information  by  which  to  adopt  other  types  proper  to 
the  locality.  A  column  is  provided  for  the  date  when  the 
highway  is  completed,  for  quick  determination  of  its  age. 

From  the  above  described  sheets  we  may  make  rapid 
comparison  between  roads  of  the  same  type.  From  a 
comparison  of  the  average  cost  of  construction  and  main- 
tenance of  these  various  types,  facts  will  be  discovered  that 
should  tend  to  more  economic  consideration  and  design 
than  has  been  had  heretofore. 

The  speaker  has  attached  the  cards  referred  to  for  labora- 
tory tests  and  statistics,  and  those  used  for  the  tabulation  of 
highway  construction  and  data,  as  well  as  the  sheet  show- 
ing the  general  characteristics  contained  in  the  cards,  in  the 
hope  that  there  may  be  discussion  and  suggestions  for  im- 
provement. 

As  a  recommendation  to  the  Pan-American  Road  Con- 
gress, the  speaker  would  like  to  suggest  the  appointment 
of  a  committee  for  the  futrher  consideration  of  uniformity 
for  highway  statistics  and  data,  in  order  that  each  depart- 
ment may,  in  so  far  as  it  is  possible,  aid  all  those  interested 
in  highways  by  showing  not  only  its  successes  but  its  mis- 
takes as  well.  The  idea  of  this  paper  has  been  to  convey 
what  the  department  of  "the  Commission  of  Highways  of 
New  York  State  is  trying  to  do  along  these  lines,  and  to 
give  the  present  solution  of  its  problems  only  as  one  at- 
tempt toward  a  solution  of  the  entire  problem. 


CHAIRMAN  MAC  KENZIE:  Is  Mr.  Marr  present?  Mr. 
Marr  was  to  open  the  discussion  of  this  subject.  We  would 
be  glad  to  hear  from  Mr.  Marr  if  he  is  here.  Is  there  any 
one  here  who  would  like  to  open  the  discussion  on  this 


262  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

question?  Someone  should  have  a  good  speech  to  deliver 
to  us  about  now  as  speeches  are  pretty  cheap.  Can't  we  have 
smeone  who  will  open  the  discussion  on  this  subject? 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  haven't  a  speech,  but 
these  papers,  first  the  subject  matter,  and  second  the  title, 
would  indicate  that  although  applicable  to  the  New  York 
system  they  don't  meet  the  conditions  of  the  road  construc- 
tion of  this  coast.  There  should  be  some  method,  some 
simple  method  by  which  the  counties,  for  instance  in  Oregon 
where  the  county  is  really  the  unit  in  the  road  business  and 
the  only  authority  that  can  establish  roads,  could  audit  and 
expend  all  the  road  money  whether  it  be  township  or  county 
money.  There  should  be  some  system  so  that  each  year  we 
could  segregate  the  expenditure  of  money  for  maintenance 
and  other  expenses  and  that  which  results  in  the  building  of 
a  road  which  is  permanent  and  is  an  asset.  There  is  no 
system  at  present. 

I  have  urged  upon  the  county  court  of  our  county  that  they 
take  each  year,  beginning  first  by  taking  an  inventory  of 
vhat  they  have  that  is  valuable.  We  know  what  is  spent  on 
roads,  but  that  is  all  counted  as  an  expense.  It  may  be  all 
an  expense,  a  useless  expense  as  far  as  the  roads  are  con- 
cerned, but  it  may  consist  of  construction  which  is  a  good 
asset,  better  than  putting  the  money  in  the  treasury.  There 
should  be  some  system,  and  I  have  several  times  urged  our 
ccmnty  court  to  take  an  inventory  to  see  how  much  good 
roads  they  have  in  the  state;  how  much  hard  surface,  how 
much  good  macadam  road.  Then  the  future  expenditures 
should  be  divided  so  that  the  people  will  know  how  much 
has  been  expended  in  repairing  and  maintaining  these  roads 
and  how  much  has  been  expended  for  permanent  roads, 
whether  it  be  hard  surface  or  macadam  or  whatever  the  na- 
ture of  the  road.  In  that  way  you  may  judge  of  the  efficiency 
of  the  county  court.  You  can't  do  it  otherwise.  The  politi- 
cian says  we  don't  want  that.  We  have  spent  a  half  a  million 
dollars  or  fifty  thousand  dollars  and  the  taxes  have  increased, 
while  the  last  court  only  spent  so  much  and  only  levied  such 
an  amount  of  tax.  There  should  be  some  practical  way  of 
an  accounting,  a  statement  and  statistics  so  that  we  may 
know  what  has  already  been  done  and  how  far  we  are  in  ad- 
vance this  year  over  last  year. 

MR.  JEWKES:  I  would  like  to  ask  a  question  as  to  the 
system  used  in  California  in  accounting  inasmuch  as  there 
is  such  a  large  expenditure  for  road  purposes.  If  there  is 
anyone  present  who  can  explain  the  system  I  would  like  to 
hear  it. 

CHAIRMAN  MACKENZIE:  Is  there  anyone  here  from 
California  who  can  answer  the  gentleman's  question?  Mr. 
Jewkes  asks  for  information  relative  to  the  California  sys- 
tem of  handling  her  funds,  or  her  methods  of  accounting. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  258 

MR.  LODER  (San  Francisco):  In  answer  to  the  question 
I  will  say  that  I  am  not  qualified  to  answer  it  fully,  being 
the  division  engineer  of  the  San  Francisco  division.  I  merely 
want  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  accounting 
system  of  the  California  highway  commission  was  arrived  at 
in  the  beginning  of  the  work,  by  the  commission  deciding 
that  they  should  employ  one  of  the  best  firms  of  accountants 
they  could  find  to  install  for  them  a  businesslike  system  of 
accounting,  such  as  would  be  used  by  the  largest  corpora- 
tions. They  realized  they  had  a  large  sum  to  expend  and 
therefore  went  to  considerable  pains  and  some  expense  to 
employ  a  good  firm  of  accountants  who  established,  with 
the  assistance  and  guidance  of  the  highway  engineer,  who 
v/as  the  executive  authority,  a  system  of  book-keeping,  and 
accounting,  and  records,  down  through  all  of  the  departments 
to  the  field,  which  would  give  a  history  of  the  work.  I  am 
not,  however,  able  to  tell  you  the  details  of  the  accounting 
as  it  is  at  the  headquarters  office,  but  it  is  the  purpose  of 
the  system  that  the  bookkeeping  shall  all  be  done  at  the 
headquarters  office  through  vouchers,  reports  and  statistics 
prepared  in  the  field  and  through  the  division  offices.  Every- 
thing is  prepared  in  duplicate  and  sometimes  in  triplicate 
and  there  remains  a  record  in  the  division  office  and  in  the 
headquarters  office.  The  final  result  for  each  section  of  road 
is  brought  together  so  that  at  any  time  at  headquarters  or 
the  division  office  the  same  data  may  be  obtained.  The  data 
aie  obtained  with  a  little  more  research  at  the  division  office, 
but  it  is  always  there,  and  there  is  a  record  in  each  office  that 
may  have  occasion  to  use  it.  The  idea  is  to  make  it  as  sim- 
ple as  possible  so  that  the  field  men  do  the  work  for  the  book- 
keeper and  for  the  accountants  at  headquarters,  by  indicating 
on  their  reports  and  on  their  vouchers  and  on  their  estimates 
tbe  segregation  of  each  item  of  expense  so  that  when  it 
gets  to  the  book-keeper  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  enter  it  under 
the  proper  head,  and  they  there  have  segregations  for  each 
subject.  The  main  point 'I  want  to  make  is  simply  the  fact 
that  the  California  system  was  based  upon  a  system  pre- 
pared by  a  firm  of  expert  accountants  who  went  into  it  very 
carefully,  as  it  would  be  done  in  a  corporation.  It  was  modi- 
fied of  course  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  road  building  problem. 
That  was  done  by  the  executive  authority  of  the  highway 
commission,  which  had  been  two  years  at  that  kind  of  work. 

CHAIRMAN  MACKENZIE:  Is  there  any  further  dis- 
cussion of  this  question? 

MR.  JEWKES:  I  wish  to  ask  a  further  question.  To 
what  extent  do  you  think  there  should  be  red  tape?  We 
always  have  quite  a  complaint  among  the  people  that  there 
is  too  much  red  tape  in  the  state  accounting  on  road  busi- 
ness. I  would  like  to  hear  from  some  member  of  the  asso- 


254  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

ciation  as  to  what  extent  or  how  cumbersome  should  a  sys- 
tem be. 

CHAIRMAN  MACKENZIE:  Is  there  anyone  present 
that  can  answer  Mr,  Jewke's  second  inquiry,  or  that  desires 
to?  We  would  be  glad  to  hear  from  them  at  this  time. 

MR.  MAC  DONALD:  I  think  the  genaleman  has  in  mind 
getting  a  little  information,  Mr.  Chairman,  in  regard  to  how 
a  commissioner  or  official  in  charge  of  work  can  bring  you 
down  to  an  A,  B,  C  idea  so  that  the  people  who  are  contribut- 
ing the  money  to  the  department,  whether  it  is  in  millions, 
hundreds  or  thousands,  can  know  what  is  being  done  with 
their  money.  In  my  own  state  of  Connecticut  where  I  was 
commissioner  for  eighteen  years,  we  had  a  system  of  our  own 
in  this  respect.  In  fact,  every  state  in  the  Union  almost 
that  is  engaged  in  highway  reform  under  state  aid  and  under 
a  highway  commissioner  or  commission  has  a  distinctive  per- 
sonality. With  us  it  was  impossible  to  adopt  a  unit  system 
at  all  in  letting  the  contracts.  I  let  all  my  work  for  the 
eighteeen  years  under  the  lump  sum  per  lineal  foot  price. 
The  towns  of  my  state  had  a  certain  amount  appropriated 
for  their  use.  All  the  towns  in  the  state  shared  pro  rata  on 
application  for  all  moneys  to  be  used  on  inter-town  roads. 
The  state  in  later  years  contributed  all  the  expense  for  the 
trunk  line  system.  That  trunk  line  system,  except  for  re- 
pairs, was  let  by  contract.  In  fact,  all  the  work  in  the  de- 
partment was  let  by  contract,  so  that  simplified  this  ques- 
tion of  accounts.  It  was  simply  the  administration.  Every 
inspector  and  every  deputy  in  charge  of  the  work  rendered  an 
account  every  day  to  the  department  and  was  charged  over 
against  that  official  in  his  work  in  that  particular  locality, 
cr  for  that  particular  road.  Every  contract  was  charged  up 
against  that  particular  town  in  which  the  work  was  done. 
The  comptroller  of  the  state  kept  an  accounting  and  he 
checked  that  account  with  the  appropriation,  and  we  could 
not  exceed  by  one  penny  the  amount  that  was  appropriated 
in  my  allotment  to  the  several  towns  of  the  state  at  the  time 
the  first  allotment  was  made. 

In  my  little  opening  address  I  saw  that  this  would  develop 
into  or  should  develop  into  a  meeting  of  inquiry,  for  there 
is  no  part  of  highway  work  in  which  the  people  are  more 
interested  than  in  this  question  of  how  their  money  is  being 
spent,  and  the  suspicion  is  rife  always  that  officials  are  care- 
less, are  negligent  or  their  system  is  not  right.  I  think  it  is 
the  high  privilege  of  any  citizen  of  the  country  to  enquire 
into  these  great  questions  of  finance.  That  is  the  way  that  , 
our  country,  if  ever,  is  going  to  grow  a  strong  confidence 
in  the  money  placed  in  the  hands  of  officials  along  this  line 
or  in  any  line  for  which  public  service  is  required.  So  I  am 
very  glad  to  have  this  opportunity  to  explain  what  the  little 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  255 

system  in  Connecticut  was.  It  started  with  a  very  small 
beginning,  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  for  the  entire  state, 
giving  the  highway  commissioner  an  opportunity  which  is  not 
the  privilege  of  every  commissioner,  both  in  regard  to  the 
small  area  of  the  state  and  the  opportunity  to  investigate 
the  condition  of  the  roads,  the  financial  condition  of  the 
towns,  and  everything  connected  with  the  system,  by  placing 
in  his  hands  a  large  sum  of  money.  I  know  that  it  equipped 
me  in  a  splendid  way  for  later  on  taking  charge  of  the  mil- 
lions of  dollars  that  they  afterward  placed  in  my  hands.  So 
I  grew  in  a  simple  way  to  handle  the  large  amounts  of  money 
that  came  to  me  later,  and  I  am  very  glad  that  the  question 
was  asked  by  that  gentleman  in  reference  to  California;  for 
it  enabled  me  to  perhaps  throw  a  little  light  in  regard  to  one 
of  the  units  of  this  great  country  of  ours  on  how  we  in  a 
simple  way  developed  our  system  up  into  the  confidence  of 
the  people  so  they  grew  from  seventy-five  thousand  dollars 
a  year  up  to  three  or  four  million  dollars. 

MR.  COBB:  The  question  was  asked  by  a  gentleman  liv- 
•  ing  in  a  state  where  conditions  are  very  similar  to  those  in 
Arizona.  The  trouble  usually  in  my  state  has  been  that 
there  has  not  been  enough  red  tape  relative  to  the  expendi- 
ture of  money  by  local  boards  of  supervisors.  I  know  that 
in  any  organization  where  you  have  expert  accountants  they 
are  likely  to  run  into  red  tape.  It  is  a  tendency  that  you 
have  to  fight  against  all  the  time,  but  there  is  a  certain 
amount  of  so-called  red  tape  that  I  think  every  public  offi- 
cial owes  to  himself  to  be  able  to  protect  himself  against 
criticism.  You  must  have  an  exact  accounting  of  the"  ex- 
penditure of  all  road  moneys.  Now  I  don't  know  but  what 
we  have  gone  a  little  bit  toward  red  tape  in  Arizona,  as,  for 
instance,  we  insist  upon  the  pay  roll  being  signed  by  every 
man  that  is  working  on  the  road.  It  takes  some  little  time 
to  do  that,  but  I  think,  as  I  say,  that  it  is  necessary  to  have 
a  certain  amount  of  red  tape  in  public  offices.  The  difference 
between  a  public  office  and  a  private  office,  a  public  cor- 
poration and  a  private  corporation  is  that  you  don't  have  to 
be  so  careful  in  the  private  corporation  as  you  do-  in  the 
public  corporation,  because  your  directors  are  limited  in 
number  and  can  keep  in  close  touch  always  with  what  the 
officials  of  the  company  are  doing;  whereas  in  the  political 
corporation  every  individual  in  your  community  is  a  director. 
I  believe  that  a  certain  amount  of  red  tape  is  justifiable  in 
the  handling  of  public  moneys.  Now  in  keeping  your  ac- 
counts there  are  two  things  to  be  accomplished,  one  is  to 
keep  the  unit  cost  data  of  your  work,  and  the  other  is  for  the 
purpose  which  I  have  just  mentioned,  as  a  protection  to 
yourself  in  showing  the  public  where  the  money  has  been 
expended,  and  that  it  has  been  expended  as  your  books  and 


256  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

vouchers  will  show,  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  in- 
tended. 

In  Arizona  we  have  our  accounts  carried  in  sixty-five  differ- 
ent segregations  in  the  main  office.  Now  in  addition  to  that 
we  expect  the  men  on  the  work  to  keep  a  further  segrega- 
tion of  their  costs.  Recently  at  a  meeting  of  the  county 
highway  engineers  it  was  suggested  that  I  send  my  account- 
ant out  to  all  the  counties  to  establish  a  uniform  system  of 
accounting  for  highway  work  in  all  the  counties  of  the  state. 
This  is  now  being  done.  Most  people  do  not  seem  to  realize 
the  necessity  of  having  a  most  expert  and  competent  man 
in  the  position  of  chief  clerk  or  chief  accountant  in  highway 
construction  offices.  I  believe  that  the  office  of  chief  clerk 
or  accountant  is  just  as  important  as  any  other  office  con- 
nected with  highway  work. 

MR.  JEWKES:  I  am  very  much  interested  in  this  sub- 
ject and  I  am  asking  a  number  of  questions  for  the  purpose 
of  bringing  out  discussion.  Now  I  would  like  to  ask  a 
further  question  as  to  which  you  think  better,  to  conduct 
your  accounting  as  a  unit  or  to  conduct  the  accounting  by 
the  number  of  counties  that  you  have  within  the  state.  By 
this  I  mean  whether  or  not  all  these  disbursements  for  state 
road  construction  in  connection  with  a  county  should  be 
through  the  state  office  or  segregated  into  a  number  of 
counties  that  exist.  For  the  purpose  of  understanding  what 
becomes  of  your  money,  which  is  the  more  preferable,  as  a 
unit  or  divided  into  the  counties  in  which  the  work  is  done? 

CHAIRMAN  MACKENZIE:  It  seeems  to  me  Mr. 
Jewkes  that  that  question  is  one  that  could  only  be  an- 
swered as  to  the  requirements  of  each  state.  It  depends 
upon  what  the  statutory  provisions  are  that  you  are  build- 
ing roads  under.  In  our  state  we  have  a  permanent  high- 
way law  which  expends  only  county  money.  That  is  ac- 
counted for  by  the  county  commissioners.  The  state  high- 
way money  is  spent  by  the  state  highway  commissioners  and 
is  accounted  for  by  them.  I  think  the  remarks  of  Mr.  Mac- 
Donald  were  very  pertinent  to  the  question  that  the  main 
point  to  always  have  in  mind  for  highway  officials  is  that 
the  taxpayers  is  "it,"  and  to  follow  the  principle  that  guides 
us  all  in  our  business  that  absolutely  accurate  account  should 
be  kept  of  money  expended. 

In  banking  I  know  there  is  a  rule  that  where  a  firm  or 
individual  runs  his  business  without  any  books,  and  it  comes 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  man  loaning  the  money,  it  cuts 
down  his  credit.  Consequently  the  taxpayer  loses  confidence 
unless  a  thorough  and  full  acounting  is  made  of  his  money, 
and  the  taxpayers  in  our  state  have  been  awfully  good  to  us 
fellows  that  are  trying  to  build  good  roads  up  there,  and  we 
go  to  them  absolutely  with  the  greatest  of  confidence  with 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  257 

the  showing  that  is  just  as  much  in  detail  as  can  be  had, 
because  that  is  the  only  way  that  you  can  retain  their  con- 
fidence and  have  them  continue  to  put  up  the  big  sums  that 
they  are  expending.  Is  there  any  further  discussion  on  this 
subject? 

MR.  TERRACE:  I  might  say  that  in  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington there  are  three  public  accountants  appointed  by  the 
state.  It  is  their  duty,  if  any  citizen  of  the  state  calls  upon 
them,  to  go  through  the  books  in  any  office  in  any  county 
in  the  state.  I  believe  in  that  method.  I  believe  that  the 
safety  of  the  taxpayers  requires  it.  I  might  illustrate  this  to 
you.  In  the  valley  that  I  live  in  we  formed  ourselves  into  a 
district.  There  was  a  law  enacted  for  that  purpose.  The 
law  called  for  the  engineer  to  go  over  the  ground  to  ascer- 
tain the  number  of  acres^  that  were  going  to  be  benefited 
by  the  improvement  and  to  ascertain  the  cost.  The  next  step 
was  that  the  electors  in  that  district  should  elect  three  of 
their  own  citizens  as  commissioners  at  the  fall  election. 
We  had  our  day  in  court  to  show  why  or  why  not  the  im- 
provement should  be  made.  We  were  asssessed  something 
like  seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents  an  acre  against  our  land 
which  had  to  be  paid  in  four  payments.  I  paid  my  four  pay- 
ments with  the  rest  of  them.  I  went  up  to  pay  the  taxes 
and  there  was  a  drainage  tax  against  the  land.  I  says,  "What 
is  this?"  "Drainage  tax."  "Why  I  paid  it."  "Well,  there  it 
is"  ''Well,  I  will  not  pay  that.  You  take  the  rest  of  my 
tax."  The  deputy  said  he  could  not  do  that  and  I  went  into 
court  to  mandamus  him  to  compel  him  to  take  the  balance 
of  my  taxes.  The  judge  decided  against  me.  I  immediate- 
ly appealed  to  the  supreme  court  and  the  supreme  court  said 
it  was  an  illegal  tax;  I  had  no  right  to  pay  it,  that  I  had 
paid  my  tax.  I  then  appealed  to  this  board  of  account- 
ants that  had  been  created  to  go  over  the  books  and  they 
found  that  the  commissioners  had  spent  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  of  the  farmers'  money  of  which  they  had  kept  r.n 
records;  in  other  words,  it  was  just  a  cold  steal.  We  sued 
them  and  their  bondsmen.  They  were  secured  by  security 
companies.  We  have  recovered  a  good  deal  of  that  money. 
So  that  I  am  in  favor  of  red  tape.  (Applause.) 

MR.  LYMAN  (Utah) :  I  would  like  to  ask  the  gentleman 
how  often  they  pay  their  bills,  how  long  it  takes  to  pay  the 
bills  after  they  come  in,  how  often  they  pay  their  men  who 
do  the  work,  and  how  long  it  takes  to  pay  their  men  after 
the  pay-roll  comes  in,  how  long  it  is  before  a  man  gets  his 
money? 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  KENZIE:  Can  someone  give  the  gen- 
tleman the  information  he  has  asked  for? 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  I  will  say  that  in  Oregon  the  county 
court  meets  monthly,  audits  all  the  bills,  and  the  payments 
are  then  made. 


258  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

MR.  LYMAN:     How  long  does  it  take? 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  The  county  court  is  held  the  first 
Monday  in  every  month.  The  county  court  sessions  last  usu- 
ally three  or  four  days,  so  that  by  the  end  of  the  week  always 
the  record  is  made  up. 

MR.  EDDY:  In  Regard  to  the  state  of  California,  in  reply 
to  the  gentleman  from  Utah,  I  wish  to  say  that  the  state 
highway,  and  the  commission  that  keeps  the  accounts  and  is 
building  the  highway,  is  only  a  part  of  the  road  system,  a 
part  of  the  road  almost.  We  have  three  laws  in  this  state 
that  are  generally  followed,  and  other  laws  that  are  only 
incidentally  followed.  One  is  the  state  highway  act  under 
which  the  bonds  were  issued,  eighteen  million  dollars,  of 
which  the  state  has  control.  And  I  wish  to  call  your  atten- 
tion again  to  the  point  I  made  yesterday,  that  in  this  state, 
when  we  consider  the  highways,  we  are  considering  only 
rural  highways.  They  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  incor- 
porated cities;  they  are  the  roads  that  lead  from  city  to 
city  or  through  the  country.  The  city  streets  are  considered 
a  police  regulation.  The  eighteen  million  dollars  to  build 
three  thousand  miles  of  state  highway  which  have  been 
adopted,  and  which  may  be  enlarged,  would  constitute  about 
seven  per  cent,  of  the  roadways  of  the  state,  and  therefore  is 
dffly  a  part  of  the  system.  Various  counties  have  bonded 
under  another  law,  which  we  term  the  Savage  Act,  and  those 
'counties  have  spent  possibly  from  ten  to  fifteen  million  dol- 
lars, probably  more.  About  twelve  counties  have  adopted  this 
system  and  I  think  bonded.  In  the  counties  which  have 
adopted  the  bonding  system  under  the  Savage  Act,  and  in  the 
state  system,  the  accounts  are  well  kept  and  any  newspaper 
man,  such  as  I  am  and  such  as  I  have  been  for  twenty  years, 
can  ascertain  the  exact  data  to  give  to  the  people,  but  the 
larger  proportion  of  the  roads  of  California  are  directly  un- 
der the  supervisors  under  what  we  call  the  county  govern- 
ment. They  expend  annually  something  like  three  million 
five  hundred  thousand  dollars  because  the  state  law  permits 
them  a  maximum  of  forty  cents  on  a  hundred  dollars  worth 
of  property,  and  in  many  of  the  counties  they  have  raised  it 
for  extra  purposes  to  sixty  cents,  and  so  they  raise  at  least 
three  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  be  expended 
annually  in  the  upkeep  or  repair  of  the  ordinary  roads. 
Those  accounts  are  paid  by  the  supervisors.  There  is  no  ac- 
count kept  except  the  claim  made  against  the  supervisors. 
I  am  speaking  generally  now  and  possibly  In  some  counties 
there  is  some  other  system  adopted.  Mr.  Morton,  who  was 
sent  out  here  by  the  United  States  Office  of  Public  Roads 
from  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  submitted  I  think  a  com- 
plete report  from  one  of  the  counties  of  the  state  to  the 
United  States  government.  Whether  it  was  ever  published  I 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  25* 

don't  know,  but  in  that  he  devised  and  submitted  to  the 
supervisors  and  recommended  the  adoption  of  a  system  of 
accounts  so  that  the  county  clerk  or  any  auditor  of  a  county 
might  keep  an  exact  system  so  that  anybody,  any  taxpayer 
or  any  inhabitant  of  a  county,  could  obtain  the  exact  ex- 
pense of  any  road.  I  don't  think  that  generally  has  been 
followed.  The  claims  that  come  against  the  supervisors  are 
paid  up  when  they  meet  once  a  month,  and  they  must  be 
submitted,  filed  and  sworn  to  before  the  clerk  three  days 
before  the  supervisors  meet.  That  is  the  way  most  of  the 
money  is  expended  and  the  claims  I  presume  go  into  the 
archives  of  the  county;  you  might  say  the  debris  of  the 
county,  where  it  would  be  almost  impossible  for  anyone  to 
hunt  them  out. 

That  is  the  exact  condition,  and  I  think  that  a  few  years 
ago  the  state  had  a  committee  appointed  consisting  of  Mr. 
Nye,  Mr.  Williams,  the  treasurer,  and  one  other  gentleman, 
to  devise  some  system  of  accounting  that  would  prevail 
throughout  the  state,  not  only  in  the  cities,  the  municipal  or 
county  organizations,  but  in  good  roads  matters,  but  it  was. 
never  adopted.  It  was  never  made  the  law.  I  think  the 
prevailing  custom  in  California  for  the  ordinary  roads  in  the 
expenditure  of  three  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
is  just  as  it  always  has  been,  you  might  say,  thrown  into  the 
waste  pile  where  nobody  looks  it  up  afterwards  unless  there- 
is  an  inquiry,  and  it  is  dug  up.  Now  of  course  we  have  in* 
almost  every  county,  I  guess  in  every  county,  experts  who- 
annually  go  over  the  accounts  and  if  anything  is  decidedly 
wrong  they  bring  that  up  and  make  it  public,  or  it  will  ap- 
pear in  their  report.  I  think  Mr.  Loder,  with  whom  I  arm 
not  acquainted,  will  affirm  that  the  ordinary  roads  have  no- 
system  of  accounting  in  any  county  of  the  state,  that  is,  ins 
the  ordinary  county. 

MR.  JEWKES:  I  have  asked  for  a  little  information  and 
I  am  glad  to  have  received  it.  Now  I  am  willing  to  state  for 
just  a  moment  or  two  a  little  about  the  system  we  use  in 
Utah.  We  have  followed  rather  a  red  tape  system,  at  least 
we  have  been  so  criticised  by  a  number  of  people  residing 
in  different  parts  of  the  state  or  within  the  counties.  Our 
finances  are  raised  in  this  way.  Out  of  general  tax  received 
for  roads  the  state  appropriates  a  certain  sum  to  be  expend- 
ed within  the  twenty-eight  counties.  In  addition  to  this  the 
counties  are  required,  in  order  to  participate  in  this  fund,  to 
appropriate  a  certain  proportion,  some  appropriating  one- 
fourth  of  the  amount,  some  one-half  and  some  an  equal 
amount,  according  to  the  size  or  class  of  the  county.  When 
this  money  is  required  for  the  meeting  of  disbursements  or 
payment  of  claims  and  pay-rolls,  the  requisition  is  made  by 
order  of  the  commission  or  the  secretary  thereof  to  the 
county  treasurer  for  the  amount  required  from  the  county^ 


260  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

this  to  be  of  the  county  appropriation  which  is  made  from 
the  general  fund,  and  also  a  fund  received  by  taxation. 
Under  our  present  law,  which  is  a  county  unit  law,  a  tax  not 
to  exceed  five  mills  is  levied  in  the  county  that  is  engaged 
in  state  road  building.  When  this  tax  is  collected  it  is 
requisitioned  by  the  secretary  of  the  state  road  commission 
in  a  like  manner.  When  material  is  purchased  or  expendi- 
ture is  made  for  any  materials  or  supplies  for  state  road 
purposes  the  state  road  agent  appointed  in  each  county  has 
to  approve  all  those  claims,  and  as  he  makes  purchases  he 
forwards  a  notice  of  purchase  to  the  state  road  office  setting 
out  the  various  materials  and  the  prices  thereof  in  quantities, 
etc.  Then  we  get  a  bill  from  the  firm  which  corresponds 
to  this  notice  of  purchase.  We  try  to  have  as  many  checks 
upon  our  system  as  possible  and  therefore  of  course  it  makes 
it  a  little  cumbersome,  but  while  our  system  is  a  little  cum- 
bersome I  still  feel  quite  proud  of  it.  Any  material  or  any 
implement,  anything  that  should  appear  in  an  inventory,  can 
be  kept  track  of  and  in  our  system  we  know  just  what  has 
been  purchased  in  the  way  of  equipment  from  a  plow  or  a 
leveler  or  a  trowel  up,  and  a  bill  card  is  made  as  soon  as  a 
notice  of  purchase  arrives  at  the  state  road  office,  of  any 
material,  especially  that  is  not  going  to  go  into  the  con- 
struction of  the  road,  that  should  appear  in  an  inventory, 
such  as  a  chain  or  a  scraper,  a  plow  or  anything  of  that 
kind,  so  that  the  road  office  knows  in  every  county  in  the 
state  of  Utah  just  how  much  equipment  should  be  on  hand. 
These  state  road  agents  are  placed  under  bond  to  take  care 
of  all  the  equipment  coming  into  their  hands. 

Time-sheets  are  made  out.  We  have  account  numbers. 
For  instance,  if  a  man  is  clearing  the  right  of  way,  grub- 
bing brush,  we  have  an  account  number  to  take  care  of  that 
so  that  we  know  just  what  it  costs  to  clear  the  rights  of 
way.  We  know  what  it  costs  for  engineeering  service.  We 
have  an  account  number  for  every  class  of  work  on  the  state 
road.  I  feel  that  our  system  may  be  perhaps  a  little  cum- 
bersome. All  our  claims  havje  to  be  sworn  to  and  verified 
and  approved  by  first  the  state  road  agent,  then  the  state 
road  engineer,  who  knows  what  is  going  on  generally  in 
each  of  the  counties  and  then  by  the  state  road  commissioner 
in  charge.  We  have  five  members  of  our  state  road  com- 
mission, each  member  having  a  given  territory.  I  feel  that 
perhaps  I  have  occupied  more  time  than  I  should,  but  I  felt 
like  making  these  few  remarks  along  this  line.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  KENZIE:  This  congress  has  been  re- 
markable in  many  ways.  It  has  been  one  that  has  had  some 
of  the  best  and  most  technical  papers  read  to  it  that  I  have 
ever  attended.  We  heard  it  rumored  when  we  first  came 
here  that  there  was  an  exposition  in  San  Francisco,  then  it 
was  whispered  to  us  and  finally  told  us,  and  then  in  one  or 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  261 

two  speeches  or  perhaps  more  than  that  we  heard  all  about 
it,  yet  that  fact  has  not  kept  any  away  from  the  business 
sessions  of  our  congress.  And  here  we  are  on  the  exposi- 
tion grounds  in  one  of  its  buildings  grinding  away  with  road 
matters.  We  have  had  no  recess  for  three  or  four  days  and 
it  has  been  suggested  that  possibly  it  would  be  advisable  at 
this  time  to  consider  taking  a  recess,  for  the  reason  we  were 
told  last  night  that  there  are  sixty-eight  acres  of  ground 
covered  by  this  exposition,  that  you  would  have  to  walk  sixty- 
five  miles  to  see  it  all  and  forty  more  if  you  take  in  the 
zone  and  side  concessions.  Of  course  none  of  us  will  care 
to  take  in  the  zone,  but  a  great  many  now  present  will  have 
to  walk  that  sixty  miles  between  now  and  six  o'clock.  It  has 
been  suggested  for  that  reason  we  consider  a  recess.  The 
objection  has  been  made  that  the  paper — Mr.  Hubbard  has 
to  catch  a  train,  and  it  has  been  suggested  that  his  paper  be 
submitted  for  your  consideration  by  title  tonight  only  and 
discussed  at  the  business  session  tomorrow  at  Oakland.  In 
that  connection  I  would  say  that  the  sessions  of  tomorrow 
will  be  held  in  the  Municipal  Auditorium  in  Oakland  in  ac- 
cordance with  our  official  program.  The  paper  that  was  to 
be  submitted  here,  "Engineering  Supervision  for  Highway 
Work,"  by  T.  H.  MacDonald,  State  Highway  Commissioner 
of  Iowa,  will  be  read  by  title.  Mr.  MacDonald  is  not  here. 
Mr.  Prevost  Hubbard  has  written  the  paper  on  the  ques- 
tion and  the  matter  is  to  be  discussed  by  Mr.  Cobb.  Mr. 
Hubbard's  paper  has  been  submitted  and  I  read  its  title, 
"Engineering  Supervision  for  Highway  Work." 

Engineering  Supervision  for  Highway   Work 

By  PREVOST  HUBBARD 

Chief,  Division  of  Road  Material  Tests  and  Research,  Office  of  Public  Roads 
and  Rural  Engineering,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 

That  the  laboratory  is  generally  conceded  to  be  a  valuable 
asset  in  highway  engineering  supervision  needs  no  argu- 
ment. Sufficient  evidence  of  the  fact  is  at  hand  in  the  es- 
tablishment and  maintenance  of  numerous  chemical  and  phy- 
sical testing  laboratories  in  connection  with  municipal  and 
state  highway  work.  The  importance  of  this  branch  of  high- 
way engining  supervision  is,  however,  often  underestimated, 
and  the  maximum  value  of  the  laboratory  is  seldom  devel- 
oped. In  many  instances  laboratory  work  is  misapplied  and 
then  it  may  actually  become  a  handicap  to  efficient  work. 
The  proper  use  of  the  laboratory  rests  largely  jvith  the  high- 
way engineer.  His  needs  should  determine  the  lines  of 
work  which  are  undertaken  and  should  govern  their  appli- 
cation to  practical  field  conditions  with  which  he  is  con- 
fronted. 

During  his  intimate  association   for  over  ten  years   with 


262  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

both  laboratory  and  highway  engineering  work,  the  author 
has  had  exceptional  opportunities  of  studying  the  relation  of 
"the  two  under  varying  conditions  and  is  convinced  that  in 
many  cases  there  exists  a  lack  of  cooperation  and  coordina- 
tion of  interests  which  is  largely  the  fault  of  the  engineer. 
He  believes  that  the  laboratory  is  not  only  an  asset  but  an 
absolute  necessity  to  efficient  highway  engineering  supervi- 
sion, and  feels  that  existing  conditions  may  be  greatly  im- 
proved if  the  attitude  of  many  engineers  toward  the  labora- 
tory is  modified. 

For  the  purpose  of  discussion,  road  and  paving  material 
laboratories  may  be  divided  into  four  classes: 

1.  Commercial  routine  testing  laboratories. 

2.  Laboratories   under   the   direction   of  a   consulting   en- 
:gineer  who  is  a  specialist  in  highway  work. 

3.  Municipal  laboratories. 

4.  State,  and  in  exceptional  cases,  county  laboratories. 
Of  these  the  commercial  routine  testing  laboratory  is  usu- 
ally of  least  value,  being  merely  a  machine  for  grinding  out 

results.  If,  however,  such  a  laboratory  is  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  specialist  in  highway  work,  its  usefulness  is  of 
•course  greatly  increased.  In  fact,  for  any  specific  piece  of 
highway  engineering  supervision  the  laboratory  in  charge 
of  a  highway  expert  is  the  most  efficient  type,  as  the  director 
of  the  laboratory  is  in  intimate  touch  with  the  actual  use  of 
the  materials  tested  and  knows  exactly  what  they  have  to 
withstand  in  service  and  the  conditions  under  which  they 
will  have  to  be  used. 

The  municipal  laboratory  is,  or  should  eventually  develop 
into,  this  type,  if  in  charge  of  a  capable  chemical  or  testing 
•engineer,  for  the  reason  that  this  engineer  will  have  ample 
opportunity  to  familiarize  himself  with  all  of  the  local  con- 
ditions which  have  to  be  met  in  his  municipality  and  of 
studying  the  behavior  of  the  materials  tested,  under  prac-* 
tical  service  conditions.  His  advice  and  cooperation  should 
be  sought  by  the  chief  engineer,  who  should  also  keep  in 
•close  touch  with,  and  understand  the  work  of,  the  laboratory. 
Too  often,  however,  the  chief  engineer  fails  in  one  or  both 
•of  these  particulars,  and  unless  the  director  of  the  laboratory 
possesses  exceptional  ability  and  initiative  he  is  apt  to  be- 
•come  discouraged  and  allow  his  work  to  degenerate  into 
purely  machine-like  routine. 

While  it  is  seldom  possible  for  the  highway  engineer  to 
become  a  ch'Pmist,  there  is  but  little  excuse  for  the  general 
attitude  he  assumes  regarding  his  knowledge  of  some  of  the 
materials  which  he  is  called  upon  to  use.  This  is  particu- 
larly noticeable  in  the  case  of  bituminous  materials.  With- 
out wishing  to  appear  too  critical,  "the  author  feels  safe  in 
stating  that  a  comparatively  small  proportion  of  highway 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  263 

engineers  who  use  bituminous  materials  are  able  to  inter- 
pret ordinary  reports  upon  the  chemical  and  physical  char- 
acteristic* of  such  materials.  There  is  some  excuse  per- 
haps for  those  who  are  unfortunate  enough  to  be  denied  the 
service  of  a  laboratory,  but  the  fact  appears  to  be  true  for 
many  engineers  in  state  or  county  employment  who  have 
such  service  available.  The  author  has  interviewed  many 
engineers  upon  this  subject  and  the  general  feeling  seems 
to  prevail  that  there  is  no  necessity  for  acquiring  more  in- 
formation than  that  a  given  material  meets  or  fails  to  meet 
a  given  specification.  No  thought  is  given  to  what  a  varia- 
tion from  the  specification  signifies,  and  but  little  thought 
to  the  specification  itself,  for  that  is  what  the  laboratory  is 
supposed  to  attend  to. 

The  laboratory,  on  the  other  hand,  may  seldom  come  in 
contact  with  the  engineer  who  actually  supervises  the  work, 
and  the  director  of  the  laboratory  may  not  even  be  given 
opportunity  to  see  the  use  and  behavior  of  materials  which 
he  specifies  and  examines.  If  this  is  so  he  is  working  in  the 
dark,  and  it  is  due  more  to  good  luck  than  to  good  manage- 
ment if  a  suitable  material  is  secured.  When  a  bituminous 
material  laboratory  is  first  started  it  has  not  been  an  uncom- 
mon practice  to  place  it  in  charge  of  a  chemist  who  has 
previously  had  absolutely  no  training  or  experience  with 
bituminous  materials.  One  of  the  first  things  this  chemist  is 
called  upon  to  do  is  to  prepare  specifications,  a  duty  for 
which  he  is  absolutely  unqualified  until  he  is  given  some 
field  experience  and  an  opportunity  to  study  bituminous 
materials  both  from  the  engineer's  and  the  chemist's  points 
of  view.  This  is  particularly  necessary  where  a  state  labora- 
tory is  involved,  because  of  the  widely  varying  conditions 
which  will  probably  have  to  be  met  in  different  parts  of  the 
state,  and  the  fact  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  the  chemist 
to  secure  the  desired  information  if  he  is  not  given  ample 
opportunity  and  encouragement  in  this  direction. 

In  the  foregoing  discussion  the  author  has  attempted  to 
emphasize  the  following  facts: 

1.  That  the  highway  engineer  should  acquire  the  funda- 
mentals of  highway  material  testing  and  the  significance  of 
the  results  of  tests. 

2.  That  the  highway  chemist  should  become  familiar  with 
the  use  and  behavior  of  the  materials  which  he  tests. 

In  addition  to  this  it  is  extremely  important  that  the  en- 
gineer and  chemist  should  frequently  meet  in  conference 
of  past  work  and  cooperating  in  the  preparation  of  specifi- 
cations for  future  work.  In  this  way  only  can  the  maximum 
value  of  the  laboratory  be  obtained  in  highway  engineering 
supervision.  These  facts  would  seem  to  be  almost,  self-evi- 
dent, and  yet  it  is  the  exception  rather  than  the  rule  when 
they  are  appreciated  and  observed. 


264  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

In  any  permanent  highway  engineering  organization  it  is 
also  important  that  complete  history  cards  be  kept  on  the 
construction  and  maintenance  of  each  highway.  Btsides  the 
more  important  engineering  details,  these  cards  should  con- 
tain a  record  of  the  materials  used,  specifications  under 
which  they  were  secured,  and  their  behavior  under  service 
conditions.  The  serial  numbers  of  samples  of  material  ex- 
amined should  also  be  included  so  that  the  complete  reports 
upon  these  materials  may  be  readily  located  for  reference. 
In  a  comparatively  short  time  these  cards  will  be  found  of 
great  value  in  the  preparation  of  new  specifications  and  will 
intimately  connect  the  laboratory  with  the  purely  engineer- 
ing work  of  the  organization. 

As  the  methods  of  the  laboratory  become  understood  by 
the  engineer  he  will  find  the  laboratory  of  increasing  value 
in  his  supervisory  work.  Not  only  will  he  find  it  of  service 
in  selecting  and  securing  the  materials  which  he  employs, 
but  in  many  instances  he  may  utilize  it  to  check  up  his  own 
inspection  and  also  the  work  of  the  contractor.  Compara- 
tively few  engineers  who  have  not  been  engaged  in  municipal 
paving  work,  in  connection  with  which  an  efficiently  con- 
ducted laboratory  has  been  utilized,  appreciate  the  amount 
of  valuable  information  that  the  laboratory  may  give  them. 
For  instance,  in  the  supervision  of  the  construction  of  a 
bituminous  concrete  pavement  upon  a  Portland  cement  con- 
crete foundation,  the  following  services  may  be  rendered: 

1.  Advice  relative  to   specifications   for  securing  suitable 
materials  to  be  used  in  a  given  way  under  the  given  set  of 
local  conditions  as  determined  by  the  engineer  himself. 

2.  Examination  of  materials  to  ascertain  whether  or  not 
they  conform  with  the  specifications  adopted.     This  will  in- 
clude routine  physical  tests  upon  stone,  or  gravel,  and  sand 
for  both   the   foundation  and  wearing  course,   routine   tests 
of  Portland  cement  and  examination  of  the  bituminous  ma- 
terial. 

3.  Advice  relative  to  the  importance  of  slight  variations 
from  the  specifications  as  prepared. 

4.  Daily  examination  of  mixes  as  prepared  for  use. 

5.  Examination  of  sections  of  the  wearing  course  of  the 
completed  pavement. 

It  is  unnecessary  in  this  discussion  to  enter  into  all  of  the 
details  of  the  work  of  the  laboratory  under  these  various 
items,  but  it  should  be  noted  that  daily  laboratory  reports 
will  be  required  during  most  of  the  period  of  construction. 
The  laboratory  service  and  inspection  will  therefore  consti- 
tute an  appreciable  portion  of  the  engineering  supervision. 
The  cost  of  much  service  may  in  fact  represent  about  one^» 
quarter  or  fifth  of  the  total  cost  of  supervision,  assuming 
that  the  supervision  is  adequate  and  efficient  in  all  particu- 
lars. In  other  types  of  construction  the  cost  of  laboratory 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  265 

service  may  be  very  much  less  proportionally,  and  in  excep- 
tional cases  it  may  be  greater. 

The  desire  to  reduce  the  cost  of  engineering  supervision 
to  a  minimum,  even  at  the  risk  of  inferior  supervision,  fre- 
quently proves  to  be  the  poorest  sort  of  economy.  Far  too 
often  elaborate  specifications  are  prepared  and  never  en- 
forced through  lack  of  laboratory  assistance.  A  specifica- 
tion is  of  but  little  value  to  the  engineer  unless  he  has  means 
at  his  disposal  whereby  he  may  determine  if  his  specifications" 
are  met,  and  yet  in  the  author's  experience  many  cases  have 
come  to  his  attention  where,  for  instance,  no  examination  is 
made  of  a  bituminous  material  whose  chemical  and  physical 
characteristics  are  nevertheless  specified  in  detail.  It  does 
not  take  either  the  manufacturer  or  the  contractor  long  to 
size  up  such  a  condition  of  affairs,  and  no  matter  how  honest 
they  may  be  in  intent,  the  work  is  likely  to  suffer  in  more 
ways  than  one. 

In  conclysion  the  following  may  be  cited  as  one  of  many 
examples  which  are  of  common  occurrence.  But  a  short 
time  ago  the  author  was  engaged  as  a  consultant  upon  a  case 
involving  a  bituminous  pavement  which  had  failed  shortly 
after  construction,  although  supposedly  laid  under  specifi- 
cations which  had  formerly  proved  satisfactory.  Upon  in- 
vestigation but  little  fault  could  be  found  with  the  specifica- 
tions. In  conversation  with  the  city  engineer  it  developed, 
however,  that  the  average  highway  engineering  supervision 
for  that  city  amounted  to  less  than  two  per  cent,  of  the  cost 
of  the  work  involved,  a  fact  of  which  he  was  apparently  very 
proud.  For  that  particular  type  of  construction  the  cost 
of  adequate  laboratory  inspection  alone  should  have  been 
not  less  than  \l/2  per  cent.  By  means  of  the  laboratory  it 
was  later  shown  that  the  specifications  had  not  been  met, 
and  that  this  was  the  primary  cause  of  failure.  The  city  be- 
came involved  in  expensive  litigation  with  the  contractor, 
who  finally  won  out  on  technicalities,  leaving  it  with  little  to 
show  for  thousands  of  dollars  that  had  been  expended.  This 
loss  could  have  been  entirely  prevented  had  the  laboratory 
been  used  as  an  adjunct  to  the  engineering  supervision. 

(The  following  paper .  was  also  presented  for  insertion 
under  this  subject.) 

Cost    of   Engineering   Supervision 

By  LAMAR  COBB 
State  Engineer,  Arizona 

The  most  important  features  of  engineering  supervision 
for  highway  work  are  the  sufficiency  of  such  supervision  and 
the  cost  thereof.  The  cost  should,  in  a  measure,  indicate 
the  sufficiency.  To  ascertain  for  comparative  purposes  the 
cost  of  all  "overhead"  expense,  including  engineering  super- 


2«6          PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

vision  in  the  several  states,  I  addressed  the  following  letter 
to  all  the  state  highway  departments: 

"We  wish  to  ascertain  if  possible  information  concern- 
ing costs  of  administration  and  engineering  of  highway 
and  bridge  construction,  and  would  appreciate  any  data 
you  can  furnish  relative  to  your  construction  and  any 
suggestions  you  care  to  offer.  The  following  segrega- 
tion, we  believe,  covers  the  subject: 

"1.  Percentage  of  total  cost  finished  construction  for 
surveying,  plans  and  specifications.  Graded  roads,  hard- 
surfaced  roads  and  bridges  separately; 

"2.  Percentage  of  total  cost  finished  construction  for 
engineer  and  assistants  for  laying  out  and  inspecting 
during  construction.  Graded  roads,  hard-surfaced  roads 
ancl  bridges  separately; 

"3.  Percentage  of  total  cost  of  finished  construction  for 
administrative  expense  (executive's  salary  and  expense, 
together  with  office); 

"4.  Average  percentage  you  estimate  for  total  engi- 
neer and  administration; 

"5.  Outline  of  your  method  of  keeping  segregated  costs 
as  above. 

"As  our  legislature  is  now  in  session  and  has  in  view  a 
revision  of  road  laws  this  information  will  be  of  great 
importance  to  us,  and  we  wish  to  thank  you  in  advance 
for  your  kindness  in  furnishing  the  same." 
The   replies   received   developed   the  following  interesting 
facts: 

1.  There  is  no  uniformity  among  the  several  highway  de- 
partments in  the  keeping  of  such  cost  data.    This  prohibited 
tabulation  of  such  cost. 

2.  There  is  no  uniform  rule  governing  proper  engineering 
or  administrative  charges. 

For    instance,    on    contract   work    some    charge    the    local 
inspector  to  engineering  and  some  to  construction. 

3.  Percentages  of  engineering  cost  are  in  some  states  cal- 
culated from  construction  cost;  in  others  upon  construction 
plus  engineering  cost;  in  others  upon  construction  plus  engi- 
neering, plus  equipments  costs,  and  still  in  others  upon  the 
entire  amount  expended,  even  including  administrative  cost. 

4.  In  some  instances  the  percentages  are  obtained  from  a 
record  of  yearly  expenditures  and  in  others  by  collecting  the 
results  from  completed  work. 

5.  Salaries  and  expenses  of  executive  officials  are  in  some 
charged  as  adminstrative  expense  and  in  others  no  charge  is 
made. 

6.  The  desirability,  if  not  necessity,  of  some  uniform  sys- 
tem that  would  meet  the  requirements  of  all  the  states  in 
the   keeping  of   administrative   and    engineering   as    well   as 
other  cost  data. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  26T 

7.  That  the  cost  of  engineering,  as  shown  by  the  letters 
received,  vary  to  such  a  great  extent  that,  after  taking  into 
consideration  the  amount  of  money  expended,  the  area  over 
which  operations  are  carried  on,  and  the  character  of  the 
work,  it  is  quite  evident  in  some  cases  that  either  the  neces- 
sary engineering  work  has  not  been  done  or  it  has  been 
improperly  charged  off  to  construction. 

Digest  of  Engineering  Costs  Reported. 

Alabama:  Bulletin  No.  4  shows  that  in  twenty  counties 
the  percentage  for  plans  and  surveys  was  about  3  per  cent, 
and  for  engineering  during  construction  the  percentage  was 
about  5.9  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  of  construction.  The 
cost  of  all  engineering  work  would  be,  therefore,  about  8.9* 
per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  of  construction.  The  administra- 
tive charges  are  not  shown. 

Arizona:  The  percentage  for  plans  and  surveys  is  4.6  per 
cent,  and  for  engineering  and  inspection  during  construction 
4  per  cent.,  or  total  engineering  and  inspection,  8.6  per  cent., 
based  on  total  cost  of  construction  and  engineering.  The 
cost  of  executive  and  administration  is  3.6  per  cent.,  making 
grand  total  overhead  expenses  12.2  per  cent. 

Connecticut:  The  percentage  for  surveys,  plans,  etc.,  is 
about  0.88  per  cent,  of  1  per  cent.,  and  for  engineering  during 
construction  about  4.94  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost.  The  cost 
of  the  work  done  by  the  state  highway  commission  in  con- 
nection with  roads  and  bridges  amounts  to  about  0.7  of  1 
per  cent,  of  the  total  expenditures  of  the  various  counties  on 
roads  and  bridges. 

Kansas:  On  bridge  construction  the  percentage  for  plans, 
estimates,  specifications,  etc.,  averages  about  1  per  cent.,  and 
for  engineering  supervision  and  inspection  from  2  per  cent, 
to  5  per  cent,  of  the  contract  price,  making  the  cost  of  all 
the  engineering  and  supervision  about  4.5  per  cent,  of  the 
total  cost  of  the  work.  On  road  construction  the  percentage 
for  all  engineering  and  supervision  on  macadam  and  concrete 
roads  is  about  8  per  cent,  of  the  contract  price. 

Maine:  The  percentage  for  surveys,  plans,  specifications,. 
etc.,  is  about  2.27  per  cent.,  and  for  inspection  and  engineer- 
ing supervision  about  3.58  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  of  the 
work.  On  small  work  it  is  estimated  this  percentage  will 
be  as  high  as  10  or  11  per  cent. 

Maryland:  On  the  state  aid  roads  completed  between  June 
1,  1910,  and  December  31,  1913,  the  percentage  for  survey, 
plans,  estimates,  etc.,  was  about  0.5  of  1  per  cent.,  and  for 
engineering  during  construction  about  3.2  per  cent,  of  the 
total  cost  of  the  work.  The  percentage  for  other  engineer- 
ing and  administration  was  about  4.7  per  cent.,  making  the 
cost  of  all  engineering  and  administration  about  8.4  per  cent. 
of  the  total  cost  of  the  work. 


268  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

Massachusetts:  The  percentage  for  surveys,  plans,  etc.,  is 
about  1.9  per  cent.,  and  for  engineering  during  construction 
about  4.5  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  of  the  work.  The  cost 
of  administration  is  about  1.2  per  cent.,  making  the  cost  of 
all  engineering  and  administration  about  7.6  per  cent,  of  the 
total  cost  of  the  work. 

Minnesota:  For  the  year  1914  all  the  expenditures  for 
engineering  and  supervision  amounted  to  about  Sl/2  per  cent, 
of  the  total  cast  of  the  work  done.  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Cooley, 
state  engineer,  states  that  he  believes  this  amount  to  be 
smaller  than  is  desirable.  He  believes  very  nearly  10  per 
cent,  is  necessary  for  actual  close  supervision. 

New  Jersey:  On  twenty  pieces  of  work  the  average  per- 
centage for  surveys,  plans,  etc.,  was  1.8  per  cent,  and  for  other 
engineering  was  4.1  per  cent.,  making  the  cost  of  all  engi- 
neering about  5.9  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  of  the  work. 
The  cost  of  administration  was  not  given. 

New  Mexico:  On  bridge  construction  the  expenditures 
for  engineering  and  inspection  amount  to  about  3  per  cent,  of 
the  total  cost.  On  road  construction  the  expenditure  for 
engineering  and  inspection  amount  to  about  5.2  per  cent., 
and  for  administration  and  office  engineering  about  7.42  per 
cent,  of  the  total  cost  of  the  work.  The  cost  of  all  engi- 
neering and  administration  on  road  construction  would  be 
about  12.62  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  of  the  work. 

New  York:  The  report  of  the  Commissioner  of  High- 
ways for  1914  shows  about  11.2  per  cent,  of  the  total  expendi- 
tures to  be  for  engineering  and  inspection  and  about  3  per 
cent,  for  administration,  making  the  cost  of  all  engineering 
and  administration  about  14.2  per  cent,  of  the  total  expendi- 
tures. 

North  Carolina:  The  information  available  covers  a  few 
roads  only  and  shows  that  about  4.06  per  cent,  of  the  total 
cost  of  the  work  was  expended  for  engineering  and  inspec- 
tion. The  administration  charges  appear  to  be  in  addition  to 
the  above. 

Ohio:  Bulletin  No.  22  sho'ws  that  about  5.71  per  cent, 
of  the  total  cost  of  road  construction  was  expended  for  en- 
gineering. The  cost  of  administration  appears  to  be  in 
addition  to  the  above. 

Oregon:  Upon  various  pieces  of  work  reported  for  year 
ending  November  30,  1914,  the  cost  of  the  engineering 
varies  from  about  4  per  cent,  to  about  9.4  per  cent,  of  the 
total  cost  of  the  work.  The  cost  of  administration  is  not 
shown  separately. 

Pennsylvania:  The  report  for  the  year  1913-14  shows  the 
expenditures  for  engineering  and  inspection  on  completed 
contracts  to  be  about  5.6  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  and  for 
administration  about  1.4  per  cent.,  making  the  cost  of  all 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  269 

engineering  and  administration  about  7  per  cent,  of  the  total 
cost  of  the  work. 

Rhode  Island:  On  paved  roads  the  expenditures  for  sur- 
veys, plans,  specifications,  etc.,  amount  to  about  2  per  cent 
and  for  engineering  and  inspection  about  2  per  cent,  of  the 
total  cost  of  the  work.  The  percentage  for  administration 
amounts  to  about -5  per  cent.,  making  the  cost  of  all  en- 
gineering and  administration  about  9  per  cent,  of  the  cost 
of  the  work. 

Virginia:  The  expenditures  for  all  engineering  and  in- 
spection amounted  to  about  5  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  of 
construction  in  1914.  The  commissioner  states,  however, 
that  in  his  opinion  a  larger  percentage  would  result  in  a 
substantial  saving  to  the  state. 

Wisconsin:  In  1914  all  overhead  charges,  including  en- 
gineering and  administration  were  slightly  under  5  per  cent, 
on  road  construction.  The  inspector  on  the  work  is,  how- 
ever, charged  to  construction.  The  cost  of  preparing  plans, 
etc.,  for  bridge  construction  was  about  2.8  per  cent,  of  the 
cost  of  construction. 

CHAIRMAN  MACKENZIE:  The  discussion  of  this 
paper,  unless  there  are  those. who  have  different  ideas,  will  be 
had  tomorrow  morning  at  the  morning  session  of  our  con- 
vention in  Oakland.  In  connection  with  seeing  the  particular 
exhibits  in  the  Liberal  Arts  building,  as  spoken  of  by  our 
chairman  at  the  beginning,  I  will  say  that  this  letter  was 
handed  to  me  addressed  to  Major  Crosby,  of  the  Pan-Amer- 
ican Road  Congress: 

"Dear  Sir — Anticipating  the  limited  time  at  the  disposal  of 
many  of  those  attending  the  congress  now  in  session,  and  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  the  Liberal  Arts  palace  at  the  exposi- 
tion contains  many  exhibits  of  specific  interest  to  engineers 
of  enterprises  greater  or  less  in  magnitude,  the  Liberal  Arts 
Progress  Club  has  appointed  a  special  reception  committee, 
comprising  practical  engineering  problem  demonstrators,  and 
has  secured  the  special  privilege  of  keeping  the  Liberal  Arts 
palace  open  until  8  P.  M.  on  Wednesday  evening,  Septem- 
ber 15. 

The  reception  committee,  Mr.  A.  E.  Welti,  chairman, 
will  wait  upon  you  and  arrange  details  for  demonstrating  to 
any  number  of  your  members  in  a  body  in  the  most  brief  and 
practical  manner,  and  otherwise  contribute  to  make  your  visit 
to  the  Liberal  Arts  palace  pleasant,  profitable  and  instructive. 
Yours  respectfully, 

Liberal  Arts  Progress  Club, 
Per  Thomas  C.  Butterworth,  Secretary." 

Is  Mr.  Welti  present?  He  said  that  he  would  be  here  at 
five-thirty;  I  presume  at  the  front  of  the  building,  to  conduct 
the  members  to  the  Liberal  Arts  palace  providing  we  see  fit 
to  adjourn  at  this  time.  Gentlemen,  what  is  your  pleasure? 

MR.  TERRACE:     I  move  we  adjourn. 


270  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

MR.  COBB:     I  second  the  motion. 

MR.  WELTI:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  will  say  that  we  extended 
this  invitation  in  the  hope  that  we  would  save  some  of  the 
delegates  time  in  visiting  the  building  and  seeing  the  ex- 
hibits of  particular  interest.  We  have  over  in  the  building  in 
the  New  York  state  exhibit  a  model  of  the  barge  canal.  We 
also  have  a  model  of  the  Panama  canal;  and  a  number  of  en- 
gineering instrument  manufacturers  and  a  few  other  concerns 
.are  exhibiting  engineering  appliances  that  may  be  of  inter- 
est. I  could  take  the  delegates  right  to  those  exhibits  if 
they  so  cared  to  take  in  the  Liberal  Arts  building  first. 
.  CHAIRMAN  MACKENZIE:  We  will  adjourn  and  meet 
-down  in  front  and  visit  the  Liberal  Arts  building  in  a  body. 

An  adjournment  was  then  taken  until  September  16,  1915, 
ten  o'clock  A.  M.,  at  the  Municipal  Auditorium,  Oakland,  Cal. 


SIXTH    SESSION 

Thursday   Morning,   September    16 

PACIFIC  HIGHWAY  DAY 

JAMES  H.  MAC  DONALD:  We  will  open  this  meeting 
•without  formality  and  proceeed  to  business.  I  had  a  reason- 
able hope  that  this  being  Pacific  Day  we  would  have  so  large 
an  attendance  that  we  would  have  to  call  on  the  janitor  to 
provide  camp  stools  in  the  aisles,  but  the  counter  attractions 
have  taken  them  away  or  we  are  a  little  early.  I  think  per- 
haps before  the  day  is  out  we  will  have  a  larger  attendance. 

I  respectfully  call  your  attention  again  to  the  change  of 
time  of  the  meeting  of  the  American  Highway  Association. 
The  annual  meeting  of  the  American  Highway  Association 
will  be  held  in  the  Auditorium,  Oakland,  on  Thursday  at 
twelve  o'clock  noon,  immediately  following  the  adjournment 
of  the  regular  session  of  the  congress.  All  members  are 
•urged  to  be  present.  This  notice  is- made  at  the  request  of 
S.  E.  Bradt,  member  of  the  executive  committee.  There  will 
ibe  a  meeting  of  the  American  Association  of  State  Highway 
'Officials  at  three  o'clock  at  Hotel  Oakland. 

I  want  to  call  the  attention  of  the  delegates  to  this  one  fact, 
ilt  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  to  those  of  you  who  have  been 
iin  attendance  at  our  sessions  that  for  various  reasons  quite 
:a  number  have  been  absent;  but  they  have  sent  in  their 
jpapers  and  there  is  no  phase  or  incident  connected  with  high- 
^way  improvement  but  has  been  carefully  treated.  Each  step 
iin  highway  construction  from  its  inception  away  back  in  the 
•early  days  when  New  Jersey,  the  mother  state  of  state  aid, 
started,  down  to  the  present  time,  has  been  carefully  gone 
over.  That  will  make,  when  printed  a  compendium  of  valu- 
able and  useful  information  which  no  library  should  be  with- 
out. No  man  who  expects  to  follow  the  science  of  road 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  871 

building  as  a  profession  or  who  is  engaged  in  an  official  way 
in  taking  care  of  highway  improvements,  whether  it  is  in  a 
town,  a  county,  a  city,  a  state,  or  in  a  national  position,  can 
afford  to  be  without  these  proceedings.  Now  these  pro- 
ceedings will  be  the  possession  of  every  member  of  the 
American  Highway  Association,  and  every  member  olF  the 
American  Road  Builders'  Association  in  good  standing  last 
June  and  presented  to  every  delegate  in  attendance  at  this 
convention  who  has  become  a  temporary  member.  The 
executive  committee  has  placed  the  nominal  price  of  two 
dollars  for  those  temporary  membership  tickets  and  you  can 
secure,  and  only  in  this  way,  temp6rary  membership  so  as 
tc  get  a  copy  of  the  proceedings.  The  young  ladies  outside 
in  the  lobbies  have  the  tickets,  and  will  you  please  excuse 
me  for  devoting  so  much  time  to  this  matter.  It  is  not  trivial. 
It  is  important  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  so  many  have  been 
away. 

We  will  now  take  up  the  program  in  its  regular  order.  I 
had  thought  at  first  that  I  would  continue  the  program  that 
was  interrupted  yesterday  so  pleasantly,  but  I  think  in  jus- 
tice to  the  gentlemen  who  have  put  in  an  appearance,  and  so 
as  to  keep  our  program  intact,  and  have  the  whole  of  these 
proceedings  go  along  in  order,  I  think  yesterday's  session 
Should  properly  be  considered  at  an  end.  If  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  our  work  this  morning  we  have  time  for  discussion 
we  may  continue  it  then,  or  this  afternoon.  So  we  will  now 
proceed  with  our  regular  program.  You  will  notice,  that  we 
are  now  coming  down  to  very  near  its  conclusion.  We  have 
been  through  an  analysis,  we  have  had  considerable  deduc- 
tion, and  naturally  today  and  tomorrow  would  be  to  con- 
clude the  matter  as  we  go  along.  And  I  know  of  nothing 
better,  as  we  stand  at  the  threshold  properly  digesting  these 
papers  and. these  splendid  addresses  that  have  been  delivered, 
than  to  take  up  this  great  question  of  the  merit  system.  Yes- 
terday we  had  the  natural  sequence  of  giving  an  accounting 
for  the  money  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  officials.  Now  we 
are  to  consider  who  the  officials  are  to  be  and  how  long  they 
shall  remain  in  office. 

You  know  it  is  not  only  necessary  to  build  a  good  road,  but 
it  is  absolutely  required  when  you  have  built  the  road  to  com- 
mence immediately  at  the  conclusion  to  take  care  of  it.  So 
we  want  to  take  up  now  the  men  who  are  to  continue  to  take 
care  of  it.  There  are  three  things  that  we  have  got  to  look 
out  for  here  in  America.  It  is  not  so  much  the  wear  of  the 
road;  it  is  not  so  much  the  question  of  the  amount  of  money; 
but  it  is  the  question  of  going  back  and  making  a  retro- 
grade movement  by  reason  of  three  things:  predatory  in- 
terests, commercialism,  and  politics.  And  with  that  intro- 
duction we  will  proceed  to  take  up  the  first  paper.  I  was 
looking  for  Brother  Powers,  fearful  that  there  might  be 


272  .         PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

some  important  announcement  that  I  might  omit  and  I  see 
that  my  judgment  was  not  at  fault.  Brother  Powers  informs 
me  that  a  little  mistaken  idea  has  occurred; — that  the  com- 
mittee on  resolutions  who  are  to  meet  this  morning,  that 
some  of  the  members  of  that  committee  thought  perhaps  it 
would  meet  here.  But  the  fact  is  the  committee  is  meeting 
down  at  the  Hotel  Oakland  and  is  in  session  now,  so  that 
if  there  are  any  members  of  the  resolutions  committee  it 
would  be  well  to  repair  to  that  committee  and  take  up  the 
question  of  resolutions,  for  that  is  a  very  important  matter. 
I  regret  to  say  that  Brother  Hill  is  a  member  of  that  reso- 
lutions committee  and  I  "had  hoped  to  have  him  with  us  this 
morning.  We  shall  be  very  glad  to  have  Brother  Hill  say  a 
word  before  he  goes.  I  would  suggest  that  inasmuch  as  you 
are  here,  Mr.  Hill,  and  are  going  to  read  Mr.  Richardson's 
paper,  that  it  would  be  well  to  read  his  paper  for  us  after 
your  remarks. 

Address   by   Samuel   Hill 
President,  Pacific  Highway  Association 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  I  don't  very  often 
differ  with  my  friend,  Mr.  MacDonald,  because  Mr.  Mac- 
Donald  is  the  prophet  in  Israel  who  first  preached  the  gospel. 
I  have  got  to  differ  with  him  this  morning  very  materially, 
and  very  radically.  He  said  he  had  hoped  there  would  be  a 
large  meeting  here  today.  He  did  not  see  quite  why  it  was 
tlrat  so  few  came  here  to  the  meeting.  That  is  a  matter  I 
think  entirely  unimportant,  how  many  come,  how  many  go 
away,  or  how  many  stay.  Coming  over  on  the  ferry  this 
morning  there  were  four  automobiles  filled  with  people  from 
Oregon  and  Washington  all  of  whom  I  knew.  They  had 
come  down,  they  said,  to  attend  this  good  roads  gathering. 
None  of  them  are  here.  I  suppose  I  saw  many  hundreds  in 
San  Francisco  whom  I  knew,  none  of  them  are  here.  When 
we  had  a  meeting  at  Elaine,  Washington,  on  July  Fourth, 
of  which  I  spoke  the  other  night,  there  came  between  four 
and  five  thousand  people  at  my  personal  invitation  to  be 
there.  We  had  a  great  meeting.  I  am  going  to  tell  just  one 
little  story  to  illustrate  what  I  mean.  I  don't  believe  that 
numbers  count. 

How  many  have  ever  heard  of  Father  Duncan?  Father 
Duncan,  a  Roman  Catholic,  is  the  man  that  rules  in  the  north- 
ern country  for  almost  two  thousand  miles.  Under  him  are 
a  series  of  men  who  believe  what  he  says.  He  is  the 
real  government  there.  Years  ago  there  came  along  the 
coast  a  British  bark,  and  aboard  was  a  young  man  who  was 
a  preacher.  He  came  out  for  his  health.  When  he  came 
to  that  northern  Pacific  coast  he  found  Indians  there, 
heathen,  barbarians.  They  had  never  heard  the  word  of  God 
preached.  It  worried  him  very  much  indeed.  He  labored  in 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  273 

spirit  that  this  should  be  so.  He  went  back  to  England  with 
that  still  on  his  mind.  He  went  to  the  pastor  of  his  church 
and  asked  if  he  might  hold  a  meeting  to  tell  the  needs  of 
these  men  on  the  great  western  coast  of  Alaska  who  had 
never  heard  the  word  of  God.  The  pastor  said,  "Yes."  They 
fixed  a  night.  That  afternoon  about  four  o'clock  there  came 
the  most  dreadful  storm  England  had  known  in  thirty  years. 
Rain  fell  in  torrents,  lightning  flashed,  there  was  turmoil 
everywhere,  a  convulsion  of  nature. 

The  hour  came  for  the  meeting  to  be  held  and  there  was 
present  nobody  but  the  young  man  and  the  pastor.  It  was 
still  raining,  still  thundering, — storm  still  going  on.  Eight 
o'clock  was  almost  ready  to  strike.  The  door  opened.  In 
came  a  man  with  a  box  of  tools  on  his  shoulder,  a  carpenter. 
The  young  man  reached  out  his  hand  to  him  and  told  him 
how  glad  he  was  that  he  had  come  to  the  meeting.  He  said, 
"Why,  I  didn't  come  to  the  meeting.  I  didn't  know  there 
was  any  meeting.  I  only  came  to  take  refuge  from  the 
storm."  "Well,"  said  the  young  man,  "we  are  glad  to  see 
you.  We  are  ready  to  begin  now."  "Why,"  the  pastor  said, 
"young  man,  are  you  going  to  talk  just  to  me  and  this  car- 
penter?" "Yes,"  and  he  talked.  He  told  the  needs  of  all 
that  north  coast.  He  told  what  it  all  meant,  he  told  the 
story,  and  then  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  shook  hands  with 
the  pastor  and  the  carpenter  and  said  good-bye.  He  stepped 
outside.  The  storm  had  stopped.  The  moon  shone  clear. 
The  stars  came  out  one  by  one. 

A  few  days  afterwards  a  man  greatly  troubled  in  spirit 
came  to  the  Baptist  preacher  of  the  town  and  said  something 
was  on  his  mind.  The  pastor  asked  him  what  it  was.  He 
said  he  must  go  to  minister  to  the  needs  of  those  Indians, 
the  people  on  the  north  coast  of  British  America.  "Why,  can 
you  do  anything?"  "Well,  I  think  I  ought  to.  I  think  I  ought 
to  go."  "You  do,  do  you?  Who  are  you?"  "I  am  the  car- 
penter." "What  have  you  got?"  "I  have  got  twelve  pounds. 
I  have  got  my  tools."  The  pastor  said,  "Why,  you  are  going 
out  with  twelve  pounds  to  convert  all  North  America?  Par- 
don me,  you  are  a  joke."  "No,"  he  said,  "it  is  not  a  joke.  I 
am  very  serious."  And  so  he  came  and  so  he  went.  He 
took  his  little  property  and  twelve  pounds'  and  same  to  Brit- 
ish America  and  there  held  meetings,  one  at  a  time.  What 
was  the  result? 

That  man,  the  despised  carpenter,  is  Father  Duncan.  His 
word  is  law  for  two  thousand  miles  and  thousands  of  people 
believe  in  him.  Do  you  think  I  care  how  many  people  come? 
No.  Sometimes  I  want  one  man  for  an  audience.  Sometimes 
I  have  had  five  thousand,  sometimes  eight  thousand.  The 
number  cuts  no  figure.  Maybe  I  may  speak  to  one  man. 

Well,  in  the  northwest  we  began,  Brother  Frank  Terrace 
and  I,  in  Oregon,  and  it  was  like  the  work  of  the  missionary 


274  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

in  Africa  who  came  to  preach  the  word  of  God.  He  brought 
with  him  wheat  and  he  gave  them  bread.  They  liked  the 
bread.  He  said,  plant  the  wheat  and  they  would  have 
bread.  They  planted  the  wheat,  the  natives  did.  They  dug 
down  to  the  bottom  and  found  no  loaves  of  bread.  They 
looked  on  top  and  found  no  loaves.  They  killed  the  mis- 
sionary. Their  one  hope  was  gone.  So  Brother  Terrace  came 
to  tell  them  how  to  plant  their  wheat  up  there,  if  you  please, 
among  the  farmers  of  Oregon. 

There  was  a  man,  a  multi-millionaire,  who  owns  the  best 
building  in  all  Portland,  who  l?ad  amassed  a  great  fortune 
starting  as  a  common  laborer  working  for  eight  dollars  a 
month.  He  said  he  was  going  to  leave  this  country  and  go 
abroad.  His  friends  said,  "you  can't  go.  You  must  stay 
here.  You  must  help  us  get  this  country  in  shape."  So 
John  stayed  and  John  gave  his  labor  for  two  years.  John 
is  John  B.  Yeon,  the  road  master,  who  has  done  that  great 
work  in  Oregon  under  Major  Bowlby.  He  had  Simon  Ben- 
son, who  was  here  the  other  day  to  be  honored,  as  the  first 
citizen  of  ©regon.  They  came  here  with  trumpets  and  ban- 
ners and  guns  to  honor  him.  Why?  He  was  a  cook  in  a 
lumber  camp.  He  went  to  work  and  amassed  a  great  for- 
tune. He  was  admitted  to  the  clubs.  He  came  to  our 
meetings  and  heard  talks  and  so  he  had  a  vision  and  he 
gave,  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  a  trade  school;  gave 
one  of  the  beautiful  parks  that  you  will  see  in  the  pictures 
this  afternoon  that  I  will  show  you.  He  was  the  first  man 
tc  be  honored  from  the  state  of  Oregon. 

So  I  defy  you,  Brother  MacDonald,  to  prove  that  I  am  not 
right  and  you  are  not  wrong.  Who  cares  how  many  come? 
Have  I  answered  it?  Are  you  satisfied?  Do  you  apologize? 
(Laughter.)  . 

Mr.  Clifford  Richardson  is  one  of  the  men,  perhaps  the 
man  who  knows  more  about  this  subject  than  any  other  man 
in  the  world.  Mr.  Clifford  Richardson  is  the  great  author- 
ity on  the  question  of  asphalt.  He  is  a  great  chemist.  He  is 
the  man  that  England  looks  to  for  advice.  He  is  called  in 
consultation  in  France,  and  needless  to  say  the  man  that 
holds  first  place  in  our  country.  Mr.  Clifford  Richardso* 
always  finds  time  to  lay  aside  his  duties  and  always  attends 
our  road  meetings.  He  went  with  us,  if  you  please,  to  the 
Road  Congress  in  Paris. 

And  now  I  look  up  and  see  back  in  the  back  of  the  room, 
a  very  modest  man,  a  man  named  George  Cooley,  of  the 
Minnesota  Highway  Commission.  That  calls  up  other 
memories.  You  wouldn't  think  a  young  looking  man  like 
that  could  have  been  a  middle-aged  man  when  I  was  a  boy. 
We  worked  together  in  Minnesota  and  built  eighty-five  miles 
of  road  before  I  left  that  state.  He  is  keeping  to  the  same 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  275 

good  work  and  he  is  yet  right  orr  the  job.  Is  that  right, 
Uncle  George? 

MR.  COOLEY:     That  is  right. 

MR.  HILL:  Mr.  Richardson  I  have  told  you  about,  and 
this  is  his  paper. 

The  Determination  of  the  Justifiable  Outlay  for  Specific 
Cases   of   Highway    Improvement 

By  CLIFFORD  RICHARDSON 
Consulting  Engineer,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

In  opening  a  discussion  of  this  very  broad  subject,  which 
may  be  made  to  cover  the  entire  field  of  road  construction, 
both  from  a  structural  and  economic  point  of  view,  some 
limitation  must  be  set  upon  those  points  in  connection  with 
the  question  which  may,  in  the  limited  time  at  my  disposal, 
be  taken  up.  I  shall  confine  myself,  therefore,  to  that  field 
of  the  justifiable  outlay,  and  the  care  necessary  in  making  it, 
in  connection  with  highways  carrying  heavy  travel,  or  more 
than  the  average  amount,  and  to  bituminous  forms  of  con- 
struction. 

The  justifiable  outlay  in  the  construction  of  a  road  is  a 
function  of  the  travel  which  it  is  called  upon  to  carry,  and 
this  necessarily  implies  the  adaptation  of  the  form  of  con- 
struction to  the  load  to  be  sustained,  the  frequency  of  it  and 
the  speed  with  which  it  proceeds.  There  is  no  rule  that  can 
be  applied  to  such  a  situation.  Each  case  must  be  consid- 
ered and  decided  upon  its  merits. 

The  justifiable  outlay  should  be  one  that  will  give  an 
adequate  return,  under  the  service  to  which  the  surface 
is  to  be  subjected.  It  should  be  one  that  service  tests  have 
demonstrated  will,  with  proper  maintenance,  accomplish  an 
economical  result. 

The  justifiable  outlay  must  not  be  looked  upon  from  the 
point  of  view  of  first  cost  alone,  but  of  first  cost  plus 
maintenance  during  the  life  of  the  surface,  the  cost  of  the 
surface  and  not  that  of  the  entire  road  upon  which  it  is 
to  be  placed.  Money  expended  in  original  construction  of 
a  permanent  nature,  such  as  drainage  and  foundations,  must 
be  regarded  as  a  lasting  investment,  if  properly  done,  which 
is  too  often  not  the  case,  and  differentiated  from  that  of  the 
surface  which  must  be  renewed  from  time  to  time. 

The  general  answer  to  the  question  which  is  to  be  con- 
sidered is:  Pay  enough  to  obtain  a  road  which  experience 
has  shown  will  serve  under  the  conditions  which  it  is  called 
upon  to  meet.  Such  a  form  of  construction  for  heavy  travel 
cannot  be  obtained  with  inferior  materials  or  for  a  low 
price.  Service  tests  of  roads  subjected  to  similar  conditions 
are  the  best  criterion  for  guidance.  They  are  the  only 
means  of  determining  the  value  of  any  form  of  construction. 
Time  is,  necessarily,  an  element  in  obtaining  data  of  this 


276  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

description.  Tried-out  forms  of  construction,  and  materials 
of  construction  used  therein,  are,  therefore,  the  best  evidence 
of  how  a  road  should  be  built  in  the  future.  Unfortunately, 
too  often  the  proper  lesson  is  not  learned  from  such  ex- 
perience. 

A  justifiable  outlay  may  be  said,  therefore,  to  be  a  sum 
which,  when  skillfully  and  honestly  applied,  will  accomplish 
a  result  which  is  satisfactory  from  the  point  of  view  of 
economy  and  utility.  It  must  be  regulated  by  the  traffic, 
and  the  expected  traffic,  which  the  road  will  be  called  upon 
to  carry. 

Individual  cases  should,  of  course,  be  treated  in  different 
ways.  A  main  artery  requires  a  type  of  surface  correspond- 
ing to  a  city  pavement,  and  such  a  form  of  construction 
will  be  essentially  the  most  economical  in  the  future.  Any 
road  surface  affords  very  little  service  unless  it  is  supported 
on  a  proper  foundation,  and  eventually  it  will  be  more 
economical  to  construct  this  of  Portland  cement  concrete 
than  to  temporize  with  the  matter.  Such  a  foundation  may 
be  looked  upon  as  an  investment  which  will  give  a  return 
for  a  long  period  of  years. 

The  secret  of  successful  road  construction,  to  meet  heavy 
travel,  lies  in  proper  design,  proper  construction  or  execu- 
tion of  the  design,  and  the  use  of  tried-out  materials,  but, 
more  than  this,  the  economy  of  any  method  of  construction 
is  dependent  largely  on  the  manner  in  which  it  is  main- 
tained. 

Little  that  is  new  can  be  said  on  the  subject  of  bituminous 
highway  construction,  except  to  apply  the  conclusions  derived 
from  actual  service  tests,  which  are  now,  in  some  instances, 
about  seven  years  old  as  relating  to  modern  types,  but  a 
realization  of  the  important  points  can  only  be  accomplished 
by  reiteration.  Improper  principles  of  construction  are  often 
inherited  from  the  customs  of  previous  years,  and  there  is 
great  difficulty  in  getting  away  from  old  and  long  estab- 
lished prejudices  and  specifications,  and  the  desire  to  build 
the  largest  mileage  for  the  least  money.  This  is  well  il- 
lustrated, as  examples,  by  experience  in  the  paving  of  our 
city  streets  with  wood  and  asphalt  blocks.  Although  it 
has  been  demonstrated  in  England  for  years  that  a  wood 
block  should  be  placed  directly  on  a  smooth  concrete  surface 
and  cemented  thereto  with  coal-tar  so  as  to  prevent  the  en- 
trance of  water  at  the  bottom  of  the  block,  the  method  of 
construction  in  use  in  this  country  which  permits  of  the 
infiltration  of  water,  is  still  employed.  The  same  can  be 
said  of  our  asphalt  block  pavements  which  are  so  laid  that 
there  is  no  bond  between  the  surface  and  the  foundation, 
the  result  being  that  the  blocks  are  badly  displaced  under 
our  modern  motor  travel. 

Work  which  has  been  demonstrated  by  service  test's  to  be 


PAN- AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  277 

satisfactory  should  be  imitated  if  the  best  results  are  desired 
Years  ago,  when  the  writer  took  up  the  construction  of  sheet 
asphalt  pavements,  the  lines  of  procedure  were  based  upon 
the  study  of  those  surfaces  in  various  localities  which  had 
proved  the  most  satisfactory. 

The  evidence  derived  from  this  study  offered  a  basis  for 
our  modern  ideas  of  how  work  of  this  type  should  be  suc- 
cessfully done,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  similar  principles 
should  not  be  applied  to  road  construction.  We  should 
study  those  road  surfaces  which  have  given  the  most  satis- 
factory results  and  the  most  adequate  return  for  the  money 
expended  upon  them  and  imitate  the  principles  employed 
in  their  construction  in  future  work.  The  most  valuable  in- 
ference can  thus  be  drawn  from  past  experience. 

The  greatest  enemy  of  good  road  construction  is  the 
desire  to  get  something  at  a  price  inadequate  to  meet  the 
conditions  imposed.  Any  expenditure  is  justifiable  which 
is  necessary  to  meet  such  conditions  and  give  satisfaction. 
It  is  an  economy  in  the  end. 

It  has  been  stated  by  the  Massachusetts  Highway  Com- 
mission that  the  cost  of  maintenance  on  the  heavier  traveled 
roads  in  that  state  has  reached  $1,000  per  mile  per  annum. 
If  the  life  of  a  road  surface  is  assumed  to  be  ten  years  it 
is  evident  that  half  of  the  sum  necessary  for  maintenance 
during  this  period,  if  expended  in  the  original  construction, 
would  be  a  true  economy  and  one  which  would  yield  an 
adequate  return.  There  is  ample  evidence  that  an  additional 
expenditure  of  10  to  20  cts.  per  sq.  yd.  for  the  original 
cost  of  construction  of  a  road  with  the  best  material,  will 
generally  be  found  to  give  more  than  an  adequate  return 
in  the  reduction  of  the  cost  of  maintenance  during  the  period 
of  the  life  of  the  road. 

The  greatest  enemy  of  good  road  construction  lies,  without 
doubt,  in  original  economies.  The  satisfactory  nature  of  any 
form  of  road  construction  is  not  to  be  determined  by  its 
original  cost,  but  is  only  demonstrated  by  the  travel  which 
it  has  carried  during  the  period  of  its  existence  and  the 
amount  of  service  obtained  from  it. 

In  considering  the  economies  of  road  construction  to  sus- 
tain heavy  travel,  the  following  points  should  be  given  care- 
ful attention: 

(a)  Permanent  features  of  construction: 

1.  Subsoil  foundations. 

2.  Drainage. 

3.  Adequate  foundations  for  the  surface. 

4.  Adequate  lateral  support. 

5.  Properly     proportioned     thickness     for     the     several 
courses. 

(b)  Surface  construction: 

1.    The  use  of  materials  and  form  of  construction  demon- 
strated, by  previous  experience  and  service  tests,  to 


278  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

be  satisfactory,  and  to  give  an  adequate  return  for  the 
money  expended. 

Experience  has  shown  that  danger  in  road  construction 
lies  in: 

1.  False  economies  in  original  design. 

2.  Bad  or  inferior  workmanship. 

3.  Awarding    the     contract    universally     to    the    lowest 
bidder. 

4.  Unsatisfactory  execution  of  the  work  due  to  lack  of 
intelligent    control    on    the    part    of    supervising    en- 
gineers. 

5.  Neglect   of   careful   study   of   individual   problems   of 
construction  and  of  successful  work  under  similar  con- 
ditions. 

6.  The  influence  of  mercenary  and  political  motives,  and 
finally,  and  of  most  importance. 

7.  Neglect  of  proper  maintenance. 

In  conclusion  it  may  be  said  that  the  justifiable  outlay  for 
road  construction  should  be  based  on  the  results  to  be  ex- 
pected as  demonstrated  by  previous  service  tests  of  various 
forms  of  construction.  It  is  a  question  of  economies  as  well 
as  of  engineering,  a  question  of  how  to  get  an  adequate  re- 
turn for  the  money  expended.  This  will  not  be  attained  by 
any  of  the  cheaper  forms  of  road  construction  in  most  cases. 
The  passion  for  economy,  which  is  so  universal  today,  owing 
to  the  desire  to  build  a  large  mileage  of  road  with  the  money 
available,  is  plainly  being  over-done. 

Thousands  of  dollars  are  now  thrown  away  on  forms  of 
road  construction  which  can  give  no  adequate  return  for  the 
expenditure. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Mr.  Hill  has  a  very  de- 
lightful way  of  impressing  points  on  his  audiences,  and  he 
never  fails  to  do  so.  There  is  a  little  Bible  injunction  that 
comes  to  me  at  this  time,  "The  whole  world  lieth  in  sin." 
Then  it  says,  "What  is  that  to  Thee.  Follow  thou  me." 
Now  the  point  in  Mr.  Hill's  story — I  have  known  him  twenty 
years — is  to  place  the  individual  and  personal  responsibility 
on  every  one  here  and  to  show  you  all  the  influence  that  this 
meeting  can  have  in  shaping  the  future  of  road  building 
throughout  the  United  States.  I  am  aware  of  how  the  one 
became  a  thousand.  I  only  felt  badly  to  think  that  there 
were  so  many  people  absent  from  our  meeting  who  could 
have  gotten  a  whole  lot  of  good  by  personal  contact  had  they 
came  in  here  and  made  additional  missionaries  for  the  cause 
along  the  line  which  Mr.  Hill  so  beautifully  illustrated  in 
his  talk.  Now  we  will  proceed  with  the  program.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  under  the  title,  "The  Merit  System  in 
Highway  Work,"  we  were  to  be  favored  by  one  of  the 
brightest  minds  in  this  country  to  discuss  that  question,  but 


PAN -AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  279 

owing  to  the  loss  of  his  wife,  Mr.  Richard  Henry  Dana, 
who  is  the  President  of  the  United  States  Civil  Service  Re- 
form League,  was  unable  to  be  present.  And  so  we  will 
have  to  take  the  paper  and  introduce  the  subject  by  title, 
"The  Merit  System  in  Highway  Work." 


How  to  Take  the  Roads  Out  of  Politics 

By  RICHARD  HENRY  DANA 
President,  U.  S.  Civil  Service  Reform  League 

For  fifteen  years  civil  and  sanitary  engineers,  architects, 
physicians,  superintendents  of  streets,  chief  librarians,  heads 
of  bureaus,  etc.,  men  of  scientific  or  special  training  and 
executive  and  organizing  ability  and  high  profesional  stand- 
ing, have  been  obtained  through  the  civil  service  examina- 
tions. This  is  possible  because  those  "examinations"  consist, 
not  of  the  scholastic  questions  and  answers  used  for  clerks, 
but  of  inquiry  addressed  to  the  candidates  and  to  those  who 
have  employed  them  as  to  what  education,  training  and  expe- 
rience they  have  had,  their  achievements  in  life  and  mani- 
festations of  executive  and  organizing  ability  and  power  to 
get  on  with  and  handle  men.  This  inquiry  is  conducted  by 
the  aid  of  appropriate  specialists  of  high  reputation.  To  the 
inquiry  is  added  a  thesis  on  the  conduct  of  the  work  to  be 
done  and  sometime  an  oral  interview  to  ascertain  personality. 
Such  UD-to-date  methods  form  the  clue  for  "taking  the  roads 
out  of  politics." 

The  chief  motive  that  impelled  civil  service  reformers  to 
devote  their  energies  to  the  adoption  of  the  competitive 
merit  system  for  government  appointments  was  to  diminish 
the  power  of  the  political  boss  by  taking  out  of  his  hands 
the  unrestricted  patronage  of  appointive  office.  The  so-called 
"spoils"  system  was  not  only  injurious  to"  the  efficiency  of 
the  government,  but  it  created  an  army  of  political  workers, 
thus  building  up  an  enormous  political  "machine,"  active  in 
politics  all  the  year  round  and  often  opposing  the  interests 
and  wishes  of  the  people  at  large.  Before  such  an  army  of 
trained,  disciplined,  well-generaled  party  workers,  paid  out  of 
government  funds,  the  ordinary  citizen  was  as  helpless  as  a 
mob  in  the  face  of  a  regular  army. 

What  about  the  size  of  this  army?  Altogether,  counting 
the  federal  service  and  that  of  all  other  branches  of  govern- 
ment— city,  county  and  state — within  the  United  States,  the 
total  number  of  persons  is  over  eight  hundred  thousand, 
and  the  toal  salary  something  like  seven  hundred  millions 
of  dollars  a  year.  But  for  civil  service  reform  this  would 
all  be  an  enormous  political  standing  army,  and  this  stupen- 
dous annual  sum  of  money  would  be  all  used  to  influence 
primaries,  caucuses,  conventions  and  even  elections.  Hardly 
more  than  one-third  of  this  army  and  salary  is  controlled  by 
civil  service  rules  and  laws.  The  rest  is  in  politics. 

The  improvement  of  the  civil  service  was,  at  least  in  the 


280  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

earlier  days,  considered  more  as  a  by-product  than  as  the 
main  purpose  of  the  reform.  This  by-product  has  become 
more  and  more  important  as  we  have  advanced.  It  has  been 
proved  officially  again  and  again  that  the  government  work 
is  far  better  done  by  fewer  people  when  under  the  competi- 
tive merit  system  than  before;  for  example,  in  the  railway 
mail  srvice,  where  careful  records  are  kept,  since  it  has 
been  put  under  the  civil  service  system  more  work  is  done 
per  capita  at  more  than  three  times  the  accuracy  of  the  best 
record  ever  made  before,  and  five  times  some  of  the  others. 
It  has  also  been  officially  computed  that  the  saving  in  the 
federal  service  alone  is  about  twenty  millions  of  dollars  a 
year. 

During  the  first  fifteen  years  of  the  merit  system  it  applied 
mainly  to  subordinate  positions,  such  as  clerkships,  police- 
men, firemen,  bookkeepers  and  the  like,  omitting  the  laborers 
at  one  end  and  the  higher  officials  at  the  other.  We  have 
been  very  slow  in  extending  the  system  upward.  We  have 
extended  it  sideways,  so  that  now  we  have  civil  service  laws 
in  nine  states  and  about  250  municipalities;  downward,  un- 
skilled laborers  in  the  federal  service  and  some  cities  are 
selected  on  a  basis  of  age  and  relative  physical  condition, 
so  that  the  laborers  are  taken  out  of  politics  and  the  public 
gets  young,  active  and  able-bodied  men.  As  to  its  exten- 
sion upward,  we  have  made  considerable  progress,  as  I  shall 
explain  more  fully  further  on;  but  for  the  present  all  post- 
masters with  salaries  over  a  thousand  dollars  a  year;  all 
collectors  of  internal  revenue  and  their  deputies;  all  collectors 
of  customs  and  United  States  marshals,  for  example,  are 
outside  the  civil  service  rules,  and  the  same  principle  applies 
in  the  main  to  the  civil  service  of  those  cities  and  states  that 
have  civil  service  laws.  As  a  result,  while  we  secure  better 
subordinates,  the  head  positions,  in  which  the  brains  ought 
to  be,  are  usually  filled  by  persons  without  proper  educa- 
tion, training  or  experience.  This  is  not  all.  The  more  capa- 
ble subordinates,  finding  that  promotion  to  these  higher 
places  is  shut  off  from  them,  soon  get  discouraged  and  resign 
from  the  public  service. 

Still  further,  while  the  boss  has  been  deprived  of  a  large 
amount  of  his  patronage,  he  still  keeps  the  best  paid  offices 
and,  through  his  power  over  the  heads  of  city  departments 
and  other  high  officials,  is  still  able  to  give  contracts,  jobs 
and  the  furnishing  of  supplies  to  political  favorites. 

It  is  now  one  of  the  objects  of  the  Civil  Service  Reform 
League  to  arouse  public  opinion  so  as  to  compel  congress 
to  allow  the  higher  postmasters,  the  collectors  and  the  like, 
to  be  put  in  the  classified  civil  service,  so  that  such  places 
may  be  filled  by  promotion  and  in  general  extend  the  law 
upward  and  thus  to  take  contracts  out  of  politics. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  281 

I  shall  now  come  to  the  application  of  the  general  prin- 
ciples of  the  reform  to  the  experts  in  road  construction. 

What  is  the  condition  of  road  construction  as  we  see  it 
within  the  United  States?  Is  there  not  a  great  proportion 
of  the  work  in  the  control  of  incompetent  persons?  Even 
where  good  road  experts  are  employed,  is  there  not  constant 
interference  by  their  superiors  to  give  contracts  as  political 
favors,  to  enforce  too  rigidly  or  not  enforce  at  all  the  specifi- 
cations for  political  reasons,  and  to  do  superficial  work  about 
election  time  to  deceive  the  people  into  thinking  that  a  good 
job  has  been  done  at  small  cost? 

Let  me  state  some  of  the  advantages  that  come  from  the 
employment  of  experts  in  road  construction.  It  will  save 
waste  from  poor  plans,  poor  methods,  use  of  the  wrong  mate- 
rials, improper  or  insufficient  sub-drainage,  or  surface  drain- 
age, insufficient  foundation,  waste  in  the  supervision  of  labor, 
loss  from  insufficient  specifications  and  from  failure  to  enforce 
good  ones  properly,  the  lack  of  proper  super-elevation  at^ 
curves,  causing  great  wear  both  on  the  roadbed  and  the 
tires,  and  the  employment  of  incompetent  laborers,  employed 
to  give  influential  voters  or  friends  of  active  politicians  a  job 
at  the  expense  of  the  public  at  high  pay,  and  the  inability 
to  get  a  day's  work  for  a  day's  pay  from  those  otherwise 
competent  men  who  know  that  they  hold  their  job  not  for 
what  they  do  in  road  building,  but  through  the  political 
influence  of  the  party  boss  behind  the  throne  of  the  road 
authorities. 

The  experts,  especially  the  chief  experts,  hold  their  office 
as  a  rule,  do  they  not,  at  the  pleasure  of  political  superiors 
or  superiors  who  themselves,  though  not  active  politicians, 
may  be  removed  for  party  reasons,  or  are  themselves  elected 
officials  who  look  for  a  re-election,  which  may  depend  more 
upon  satisfying  a  political  boss  or  packing  a  primary  than 
upon  securing  good  roads  for  the  public;  and  is  it  not  also 
often  true  that  the  position  of  the  expert  is  needed  to  carry 
out  some  party  plan  or  complete  a  factional  slate?  At  all 
events,  the  employment  is  so  apt  to  be  temporary  and  the 
changes  are  so  often  made,  even  when  good  experts  are 
employed,  that  continuity  of  policy  is  not  carried  out.  Fear 
of  removal  and  the  desire  tp^  help  those  who  have  given  the 
appointment  tends  to  bring  the  expert  into  politics.  No  per- 
manent career  can  be  offered  to  younger  men  who  enter 
from  the  lower  grades  of  expert  work;  no  hope  of  promotion 
to  the  upper,  and  as  a  rule  it  is  hard  to  get  the  men  of  the 
best  ability  to  leave  well-established  work  with  private 
persons  or  corporations  for  the  uncertain  and  sometimes 
distasteful  work  of  public  employment.  It  sounds  more 
funny  than  fiction  when  we  read  the  truth  from  the 
report  of  James  W.  Osborne,  special  commissioner  to  inves- 
tigate the  New  York  state  highway  department,  that  the 


282  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

• 

inspectors  to  pass  on  contract  work  were  some  of  them 
barbers,  tailors,  prize  fighters,  bartenders  and  bakers,  and, 
as  might  be  supposed,  that  their  inspection  "was  totally 
inadequate." 

But,  even  supposing  that  the  experts  from  top  to  bottom 
are  apopinted  absolutely  free  from  political  favoritism  of 
any  sort  and  are  men  of  good  ability,  their  powers  are  limited. 
To  be  sure  some  road  commission,  for  the  time  being, 
here  and  there,  may  be  found  that  will  not  interfere  with 
their  experts,  but  as  we  have  seen  again  and  again,  the 
experts  are  subject  to  the  direction  of  the  non-expert,  politi- 
cal or  semi-political  boards  or  elective  officials,  and  have  to 
submit  to  the  superior  authority  which  can  put  a  joker  into 
a  contract,  modify  the  specification,  order  poor  work  to  be 
accepted,  or  good  work  to  be  refused  on  the  payment  or  non- 
payment of  political  contributions  or  the  possession  or  non- 
possession  of  political  influence. 

As  an  illustration  we  have  the  case  of  the  New  York  state 
road  construction,  and  nothing  was  more  evident  in  the 
investigation  than  that  in  many  cases  the  experts  were 
entirely  opposed  to  the  action  of  their  superior  officers,  which 
they  had  no  power  to  prevent,  and  it  was  contrary  to  official 
discipline  to  expose  to  the  public  the  various  methods  that 
were  used  for  giving  contracts  to  influential  politicians,  or 
for  securing  political  contributions  at  the  threat  of  holding  up 
pay  for  work  done. 

But  some  one  will  say,  if  we  leave  road  building  wholly  in 
the  hands  of  experts  with  independent  tenure  of  office,  we 
are  not  having  local  self-goverment;  we  are  interfering  with 
the  representatives  of  the  people  and  choking  off  the  expres- 
sion of  public  policies.  We  must  admit  that  if  we  should 
make  our  experts  complete  despots  that  there  would  be  a 
great  deal  of  truth  in  these  objections.  Can  we  not,  however, 
find  some  line  of  demarcation  between  the  two  extremes?  I 
think  we  can.  The  representatives  of  the  people,  the  policy 
determining  executive  or  board  or  legislative  body  should 
decide  upon  the  general  public  policies  as  to  the  amount 
of  appropriations,  just  where  good  roads  are  to  be  built,  as, 
for  example,  between  which  towns  and  cities,  or  what  gen- 
eral principles  of  choice  are  to  prevail,  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  powers  of  the  experts  should  be  supreme  in  the 
operative  sphere  as  distinct  from  the  policy  determining.  . 
The  operative  sphere  should  include  the  full  control  of  the 
preparation  and  award  of  contracts  and  the  enforcement 
of  specifications;  the  control  of  labor,  and  the  purchase  of 
supplies,  and  everything  else  that  is  necessary  for  securing 
the  best  results  at  least  cost  to  the  community.  The  com- 
munity should  have  a  right  to  say  how  much  they  will  be 
taxed,  and  what  it  is  they  want  done;  but  beyond  that  the 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  283 

community  will  get  the  best  results,  will  it  not,  if  it  will 
leave  to  experts,  selected  without  regard  to  politics  and  free 
from  the  danger  of  political  removal  or  interference  in  any 
way,  the  carrying  out  of  the  details  of  the  plans  necessary 
to  accomplish  the  purposes  the  public  has  in  mind.  The 
experts,  too,  should  be  allowed  freedom  to  advise  and  even 
educate  public  opinion  as  to  public  policies  within  their 
specialties. 

We  then  have  to  consider  the  three  chief  points:  First, 
the  selection  of  experts  which  will  secure  from  top  to  bottom 
experts  of  ability,  experience  and  character;  and,  second, 
tenure  of  office  during  capacity  and  good  behavior;  and, 
third,  ample  powers  within  the  operative  sphere.  Now  for 
the  selection  of  the  experts  in  any  large  public  service  devot- 
ed to  road  building.  There  should  be  a  system  of  promo- 
tion from  among  the  assistant  engineers  and  other  experts 
that  would  secure  the  highest  positions  when  vacancies  arise 
to  those  who  have  shown  the  best  ability  and  achievements, 
and  entrance  to  these  lower  positions  should  be  through 
civil  service  examinations.  Where  there  is  not  found  among 
the  subordinates  any  one  suitable  for  promotion,  or  where 
the  service  is  new,  then  it  is  necessary  to  go  outside.  And 
in  such  cases  there  ought  to  be  freedom  to  select  experts 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  ample  inquiry  into  the 
sufficiency  of  education,  training,  special  ability,  and  the 
possession  of  organizing  and  executive  faculty  among  the 
candidates.  Now,  how  can  this  be  done?  The  adoption  of 
the  civil  service  system  would  secure  promotion,  but  no 
open  competitive  examination  composed  of  written  questions 
and  answers  of  the  "scholastic"  kind  would  ever  be  suitable 
for  the  appointment  of  the  chief  experts  in  any  such  under- 
taking as  modern  road  building  on  a  large  scale,  but  when  I 
have  said  this  it  does  not  mean  that  the  experts  may  not  be 
still  selected  through  civil  service  methods;  for  the  civil 
service  methods  are  not  confined,  as  too  many  persons  take 
for  granted,  to  the  written  scholastic  examination  conducted 
in  the  same  room  and  at  the  same  time,  such  as  are  used  for 
the  .selection  of  clerks,  bookkeepers  and  the  like.  Every 
method  known  to  business  for  the  ascertaining  of  the  rela- 
tive ability  of  various  candidates  that  is  capable  of  being 
systematized — that  is,  every  method  excepting  that  of  pure 
favoritism — can  be  and  is  employed  by  civil  service  commis- 
sions. Bench  tests  are  used  for  selecting  mechanics;  physi- 
cal competition  for  policemen  and  firemen;  saddling,  mount- 
ing, riding  horses  and  firing  from  horseback  have  formed 
part  of  the  civil  service  examination  for  United  States  rang- 
ers. For  the  last  fifteen  years  men  of  high  organizing  and 
executive  ability,  power  to  handle  subordinates  and  get  on 
well  with  men,  combined  with  appropriate  scientific  knowl- 


284  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

edge,  have  been  secured  for  high  governmental  positions 
by  what  is  called  the  "unassembled  investigation  of  careers" 
conducted  by  civil  service  commissions.  Though  this  has 
been  in  operation  for  fifteen  years,  as  I  have  just  said,  its 
existence  is  still  unknown  to  many  experts,  statesmen,  and, 
I  may  say,  to  the  great  majority  of  our  citizens,  and  it  is 
largely  for  explaining  this  method  of  selection  and  showing 
its  applicability  for  the  choice  of  experts  in  road  building 
that  this  paper  is  written.  Let  me  give  an  illustration: 

The  office  of  librarian  of  the  enormous  library  system  of 
the  city  of  Chicago  became  vacant.  It  was  found  that  that 
position  was  classified  under  the  civil  service  rules.  The 
first  idea  was  that  an  exception  must  be  made  and  the 
appointment  authorized  at  the  discretion  of  the  mayor,  for 
the  reason,  as  stated,  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  fill  the 
place  satisfactorily  by  any  "scholastic"  examination.  The 
civil  service  commission  and  the  civil  service  reformers  of 
Chicago  were  well  aware  of  this  "unassembled  investigation 
of  careers"  and  how  successful  it  had  proved,  and  they 
undertook  to  make  the  selection  under  the  civil  service  rules. 
First  of  all,  advertisements  were  sent  out  over  the  country 
and  especially  to  all  the  journals  devoted  to  library  work,  and 
letters  were  sent  to  library  experts  to  suggest  candidates. 
It  was  explained  that  the  examination  would  not  consist  of 
the  ordinay  sets  of  questions  and  answers,  but  that  each 
candidate  should  reply  from  his  own  home  or  office  to  a 
detailed  inquiry  as  to  his  education,  training  and  achieve- 
ments in  life.  Then  three  eminent  librarians  were  chosen 
to  aid  the  civil  service  commission  in  this  investigation.  The 
three  chosen  were  Mr.  Herbert  Putnam,  of  the  congressional 
library,  Washington,  D.  C;  the  head  of  the  Crera  library  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  the  librarian  of  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago. These  men  aided  the  civil  service  commissioner  and 
their  chief  examiner  in  drawing  up  the  questions  on  the 
experience  sheets  sent  to  the  various  candidates.  The  can- 
didates were  also  asked  to  send  in  any  book,  pamphlet  or 
paper  prepared  by  them  on  library  administration  or  kin- 
dred subjects  and  to  give  the  names  of  persons  for  whom 
they  had  worked,  who  would  know  of  their  successful  admin- 
istration. Then,  after  weeding  out  those  who  from  their  own 
statements  were  manifestly  unfitted,  there  were  sent  to 
these  former  employers  searching  questions,  which  were 
answered  in  detail,  showing  any  facts  tending  to  prove  the 
possession  by  the  candidate  in  question  of  executive  and  or- 
ganizing ability,  any  unusually  successful  work  accomplished, 
the  possession  of  such  temper  and  manners  as  would  enable 
the  candidate  to  get  on  with  other  people,  and  the  ability  to 
handle  subordinates  to  advantage.  Each  candidate  was  also 
asked  to  prepare  a  thesis  on  'the  management  of  the  Chicago 
library  system,  and  to  aid  him  in  understanding  the  situation 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  285 

he  was  furnished  with  the  latest  official  reports  of  Chicago 
relating  to  the  library  and  the  municipal  budget  and  re- 
sources. These  theses  were  prepared  at  the  homes  or  offices 
of  the  candidates  and  sent  to  the  civil  service  commission. 
As  a  result  of  all  this  investigation  and  the  examination  of 
these  records  by  this  jury  of  three  great  experts,  Mr.  Laegler 
was  put  first.  As  the  civil  service  records,  thus  prepared, 
showed,  he  had  been  librarian  at  the  Wisconsin  University; 
had  there  instituted  some  methods  of  library  administration 
of  such  value  that  they  were  being  copied  by  other  libraries 
all  over  the  country;  had,  when  in  another  capacity,  prac- 
tically organized  the  splendid  university  extension  work 
and  public  aid  given  by  the  University  of  Wisconsin;  had 
gone  before  committees  of  the  legislature  and  explained  his 
methods  and  secured  appropriations;  and  had  been  able  to 
train  his  subordinates  so  as  to  get  the  best  possible  results. 
Indeed,  as  Mr.  Putnam  said  to  me,  there  was  no  better  man 
that  could  be  found  in  the  country  not  already  occupied 
in  some  better  position.  In  some  of  the  non-assembled  inves- 
tigations the  candidates  are  questioned  orally  by  this  expert 
examining  board  and  further  graded  on  personality. 

Now  let  me  call  your  attention  to  one  or  two  matters: 
Through  this  method  there  was  secured  what  every  appoint- 
ing officer  should  secure,  that  is,  a  thorough  investigation 
into-  the  capacity  of  all  the  candidates,  but  a  kind  of  inves- 
tigation carried  out  with  a  degree  of  thoroughness  that  we 
know  is  not  exercised  by  appointing  officers,  even  when 
they  are  free  from  any  political  motive  and  desire  to  secure 
the  best  results,  not  even  by  most  business  men  or  corpora- 
tions. Indeed,  the  art  of  appointing  the  best  from  a  large 
number  of  persons  for  responsible  positions  is,  by  no  means, 
as  simple  a  one  as  many  people  suppose.  Again,  under  the 
civil  service  system,  all  the  evidence  on  which  the  selection 
is  made  is  a  matter  of  records,  so  that  at  any  time  the 
grounds  of  selection  may  be  reviewed — an  effective  guaranty 
against  favoritism — and  the  appointment  is  made  without 
the  appointee's  being  under  obligations  to  any  party,  party 
faction  or  political  boss;  and,  finally,  when  once  appointed  in 
this  way  the  tenure  of  office  is  practicaly  secure,  because 
the  motive  otherwise  existing  of  removing  an  expert,  namely, 
to  give  the  appointment  to  a  favorite,  has  disappeared,  for 
the  appointment  of  a  successor  must  be  made  in  the  same  way 
that  the  original  selection  was  made,  or  else  by  promotion 
from  a  limited  number  of  persons  who  have  secured  their 
positions  by  open  competition.  Then,  again,  when  the  posi- 
tion is  thus  put  under  the  civil  service  system  and  the  tenure 
of  office  is  secure,  instead  of  keeping  able  men  away,  it  is 
found  by  experience  that  it  has  attracted  them.  It  has  com- 
monly been  said  that  you  can  not  get  able  men  to  enter  the 


286  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

civil  service  examination,  but,  in  the  words  of  the  United 
States  Civil  Service  Commission  commenting  \>n  the  results 
of  such  civil  service  investigations  in  its  twenty-ninth  report: 

"Examinations  of  this  character  have  been  found  to 
attract  men  of  the  highest  type.  A  belief  in  many  quar- 
ters that  no  distinguished  expert  or  person  of  high  pro- 
fessional or  scientific  attainments  will  compete  in  a 
civil  service  examination  is  a  fallacy." 

This  has  also  been  the  experience  of  municipal  and  state 
civil  service  commissions  that  have  tried  the  system. 

At  a  hearing  of  the  legislature  in  Massachusetts  on  a  bill 
to  allow  heads  of  departments  to  be  selected  in  this  manner 
Professors  Swain  and  Sedgewick  of  the  Massachusetts  ^Insti- 
tute of  Technology  said  that  they  usually  advise  their  gradu- 
ates not  to  accept  public  work,  because  it  is  so  mixed  with 
politics;  but,  should  these  position  be  put  under  the  civil 
service  system  and  carried  out  in  the  way  above  explained, 
they,  on  the  contrary,  would  urge  all  their  graduates  to  enter 
this  kind  of  public  service. 

Another  objection  has  been  made  that  there  are  not  suffi- 
cient experts  in  the  country  to  fill  all  the  positions  in  the 
road  construction  that  is  going  on.  However  that  may  be, 
we  can  secure  all  the  experts  there  are  who  are  willing  to 
undertake  the  work,  and  if  one  will  just  read  the  catalogues 
01  the  leading  universities  of  the  country  he  will  see  that  more 
and  more  time  is  given  to  the  education  of  experts  in  all 
kinds  of  municipal  and  state  undertakings,  among  which 
road  building  is  one  of  the  most  commonly  taught.  The 
supply  of  young  men  who  can  be  put  in  the  lower  grades 
of  expert  work  and  make  their,  way  up,  through  promotion, 
is  very  great. 

Some  objection  is  raised,  on  what  is  really  a  priori  and 
theoretical  grounds,  that  experts  with  tenure  during  good 
behavior  and  capacity  would  not  accept  new  policies.  In 
practical  operation  exactly  the  opposite  is  found  to  be  the 
case.  Not  only  do  such  experts  take  kindly  to  new  policies, 
but  they  are  foremost  in  suggesting  and  urging  them.  The 
expert  is  far  more  well  informed  as  to  new  devices  adopted 
in  any  part  of  the  civilized  world  and  to  weigh  the  merits 
of  them  than  the  non-expert. 

I  remember,  not  long  ago,  delivering  an  address  before  a 
club  of  business  and  professional  men  as  to  the  application 
of  the  merit  system  to  the  selection  of  high-grade  experts. 
I  saw  one  prominent  man  before  me  with  his  face  set  in 
stern  disapproval  from  the  beginning.  After  the  address  he 
made  the  remark  that  "it  is  absurd  for  anyone  to  suggest 
selecting  men  for  such  positions  by  a  scholastic  examination 
of  questions  and  answers,"  and  wondered  that  "a  man  of  my 
position  should  advocate  it."  The  truth  was  this  gentleman 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  287 

had  shut  his  mind  up  into  idea-tight  compartments,  proof 
against  the  percolation  of  a  new  thought.  It  is  this  state  of 
mind  which  prevents  many  people  from  examining  into  the 
civil  service  method  which  I  have  just  now  laid  before  you. 

But,  after  all,  the  best  proof  of  the  pudding  is  in  the 
eating.  If  this  were  all  a  matter  of  theory  which  had  never 
been  tried  before,  or  perhaps  only  in  one  or  two  instances, 
I  should  blame  no  man  for  considering  it  highly  theoretical, 
just  as  old  sea  captains  and  river  steamboat  navigators 
thought  it  was  impracticable  to  cross  the  Atlantic  Ocean  in 
a  vessel  propelled  by  steam.  Should  any  such  captain  con- 
tinue so  to  think  after  the  ocean  had  been  crossed  many 
times  every  year  for  fifte.cn  years  in  succession  with  success 
and  improved  speed  and  economy,  ought  not  that  captain 
to  be  considered  antiquated  indeed?  So  it  is  with  anyone 
who  doubts  the  applicability  of  the  civil  service  system  to 
the  selection  of  engineers,  unless  he  is  absolutely  ignorant 
of  how  often  we  have  crossed  the  ocean  of  spoils  politics  in 
safety  by  the  advanced  methods  of  the  merit  system. 

The  first  position  to  which  it  was  applied,  about  fifteen 
years  ago,  was  that  of  the  supervising  architect  of  the  United 
States,  a  position  of  the  very  greatest  importance  and  high 
salary.  Then  it  was  applied  to  the  selection  of  the  heads 
of  many  of  the  bureaus,  especially  those  of  the  Agricultural 
Department,  for  which  positions  men  of  high  scientific  edu- 
cation in  their  specialties  and  executive  and  organizing  abil- 
ity were  required,  and  the  success  with  which  these  depart- 
ments have  been  established  and-  carried  out  under  experts 
selected  in  this  way  is  the  best  proof  of  the  applicability  of 
the  system.  Among  other  positions  I  may  mention  that  of 
the  head  of  the  United  States  Bureau  on  Road  Building  and 
Road  Materials. 

In  the  city  of  Los  Angeles  the  enormous  water  supply 
that  was  to  cost  many  millions  was  put  into  the  hands  of 
engineers  selected  in  the  ordinary  way.  The  work  was  going 
to  pieces,  little  was  accomplished  and  an  enormous  amount 
of  money  had  been  wasted.  Then  the  board  in  charge  was 
reorganized  and  all  the  engineers  from  top  to  bottom  were 
selected  by  the  civil  service  system,  and  after  that  the  work 
was  accomplished  rapidly,  economically,  without  taint  or 
fraud,  and  with  the  most  complete  success. 

Even  assistants  to  the  attorney-general  at  Washington  and 
assistant  solicitors  and  attorneys  in  states  have  been  selected 
in  this  same  way;  also  the  chief  engineer  of  the  city  of  Chi- 
cago, engineer  in  charge  of  bridges,  city  auditor,  the  chief 
street  engineer,  the  building  inspector  in  chief,  and  numer- 
ous other  officials  with  salaries  from  $5,000  to  $8,000  a  year, 
and  lately  in  Philadelphia  the  chief  engineer  and  his  assist- 
ants for  the  new  subway  development  and  other  experts, 


288  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

with  salaries  even  as  high  as  $10,000  a  year,  the  heads  of 
departments,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  in  Colorado,  the 
secretaries  and  chief  examiners  of  civil  service  commissions 
in  several  states  have  also  been  chosen  by  this  same  process. 

The  division  engineers  in  the  state  of  New  York  who  are 
required  to  hav<e  charge  of  the  construction,  reconstruction, 
maintenance  and  repair  of  state  and  county  highways  are 
now  under  the  civil  service  system,  with  the  full  approval 
of  the  commisioner. 

In  Kansas  City  the  chief  engineer,  the  assistant  chief  engi- 
neer, the  superintendent  of  streets,  and  some  other  posi- 
tions have  been  appointed  through  competition,  and  in  New 
York  City  the  merit  system  has  been  expanded  to  cover  the 
position  of  chief  engineer  of  the  Board  of  Estimate  and 
Apportionment. 

Indeed,  these  are  only  some  of  the  many  examples  which 
I  could  give  you.  In  addition  to  that,  I  may  quote  Lieuten- 
ant James  Reed,  assitant  director  of  the  department  of  public 
works  of  Philadelphia,  in  a  paper  read  at  the  last  meeting 
of  our  National  Civil  Service  Reform  League.  He  not 
only  commended  this  method  of  selection  as  having  worked 
with  perfect  success,  but  he  also  showed  and  proved  that  by 
this  method  of  the  selection  and  retention  of  experts  the 
municipal  contracts  had  been  taken  out  of  politics  in  Phila- 
delphia— that  city  long  known  as  being  under  the  domination 
of  political  contractors. 

Some  objection  has  been  made  to  the  merit  system  be- 
cause of  an  alleged  difficulty  in  removing  a  classified  em- 
ployee. We  claim  that  it  is  generally  easier  to  remove  for 
good  cause  under  the  merit  than  under  the  spoils  system. 
Under  th.e  spoils  regime  an  employee  put  in  by  political 
influence  often  could  not  be  removed  by  his  official  superior 
even  for  drunkenness  and  insubordination.  The  superior 
who  tried  to  remove  him  would  usually  find  him  reinstated, 
or  his  own  official  head  in  danger  of  coming  off.  It  was 
easy  enough  to  remove  after  a  change  of  party  or  party 
faction — too  easy,  for  both  good  and  bad  were  turned  out. 
It  is  only  in  the  New  York  City  police  force  that  removals 
for  cause  are  difficult.  There,  against  the  opposition  of  the 
national  league  and  the  New  York  Civil  Service  Reform 
Association,  an  appeal  to  the  courts  with  a  complete  revision 
was  allowed,  but  elsewhere  the  usual  rule  requires  only  a 
statement  of  the  reasons  for  removal  in  reasonable  detail 
to  be  given  the  employee,  with  a  chance  to  answer  in  writ- 
ing, just  to  avoid  removal  under  a  mistake  as  to  the  facts, 
but  the  appointing  officer  has  the  final  power. 

Fixing  of  the  powers  of  these  experts  is  a  matter  of  legis- 
lation and  not  of  civil  service  reform,  but,  at  the  same  time, 
the  selection  and  retention  by  the  civil  service  method  will 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  289 

give  them  such  independence  of  position,  such  freedom  from 
any  question  as  to  how  the  next  election  is  going,  and  such 
absence  of  control  by  politicians  that  any  powers  granted  to 
them  by  law  can  be  exercised  with  an  amount  of  independ- 
ence which  would  be  impossible  without  the  tenure  that  the 
civil  service  system  gives  them. 

It  is  true  that  some  of  the  experts  in  German  cities,  in  the 
city  of  Paris,  and  in  the  cities  of  Great  Britain  are  not  strictly 
under  civil  service  rules,  but  they  are  under  restricted  meth- 
ods of  selection,  partly  from  custom  and  partly  by  statute 
law  very  closely  allied  the  system  that  I  have  just  explained, 
based  on  competition  and  the  possession  of  education  and 
experience  that  produces  practically  the  same  results  by 
methods  which  are  first  cousins  to  the  civil  service  system, 
and  I  need  hardly  say  how  vastly  better  and  more  efficient 
is  municipal  administration  in  those  municipalities  in  which 
all  the  operative  work  is  in  the  control  of  these  prominent, 
highly  trained  and  efficient  experts. 

In  the  national  government  of  Great  Britain  all  the  experts 
of  that  board  that  has  control  of  municipalities  called  the 
"Local  Government  Board,"  and  the  permanent  heads  of  all 
the  great  national  departments,  such  as  the  Treasury,  Post- 
office,  Foreign  Affairs,  and  the  like  are  strictly  under  the 
competitive  civil  service  rules. 

It  is  important  that  the  civil  service  commissions  should 
themselves  be  free  from  political  considerations.  Besides 
having  their  chief  examiners,  secretaries,  and  other  subor- 
dinates under  civil  service  rules,  the  plan  of  having  the 
civil  service  commissioners  appointed  for  long  tenure,  say, 
six  years,  with  overlapping  terms  is  recommended  and  in 
some  cases  already  adopted. 

Lastly,  may  not  the  plan  of  having  all  the  governmental 
work  in  the  control  of  high-grade  experts,  free  from  poli- 
tics, be  the  final  solution  for  securing  efficiency  and  economy 
in  public  undertakings?  May  it  not  be  the  anti-toxin  for 
public  waste  and  corruption?  .May  not  the  great  success  of 
the  United  States  Army  engineers  in  the  harbor  and  river 
work  and  in  the  Panama  Canal  be  because  these  army  engi- 
neers are  so  free  from  political  pressure  and  have  so  secure 
a  tenure  of  office,  rather  than  because  they  are  superior  as 
individuals  to  the  civil  engineers  of  our  country? 

If  there  be  any  truth  in  these  ideas,  is  this  not  a  cause  well 
worth  promoting  with  all  our  influence,  patriotism,  and  enthu- 
siasm, not  only  in  road  building  but  in  all  other  governmental 
enterprises? 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  We  are  very  nicely  ad- 
justed in  our  loss  in  having  the  discussion  opened  by  one  of 
the  brightest  minds  that  we  have  in  our  road  building  coun- 
cils, and  that  is  Dr.  J.  H.  Pratt,  who  is  the  secretary  of  the 


290  PAN- AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

State   Highway  Commission  and   State   Geologist  of  North 

Carolina,   who    will    open    the    discussion    under    this    topic. 

(Applause.) 

Discussion  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Pratt 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  In  opening  this 
discussion  on  the  subject  of  "The  Merit  System  of  High- 
way Work,"  I  am  doing  so  without  any  reference  whatever 
to  Mr.  Dana's  paper,  as  I  have  had  no  opportunity  to  read 
it  or  know  upon  what  line  he  would  treat  the  subject — ex- 
cept knowing  the  position  he  holds  under  the  United  States 
government,  that  he  would  probably  treat  it  from  the  civil 
service  standpoint.  At  first  glance  we  are  apt  to  think  of 
this  subject  as  applying  simply  to  civil  service  appointments 
and  inaugurating  in  the  state  the  civil  service  method  for 
governing  all  appointments.  I  am  not,  however,  considering 
the  subject  purely  from  this  standpoint. 

I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  a  merit  system  can  very 
profitably  be  made  applicable  to  highway  work  in  any  state, 
and  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  permeate  the  whole  road 
work  from  the  highest  official  to  the  cheapest  laborer. 
There  are  certain  fundamental  principles,  however,  relating 
to  road  construction  and  maintenance,  that  must  be  recog- 
nized by  the  people  of  a  state  before  any  satisfactory  re- 
sults can  be  obtained.  First,  that  the  construction  and  main- 
tenance of  our  public  roads  must  be  considered  as  a  purely 
business  proposition.  Second,  that  satisfactory  results  can 
only  be  obtained  by  having  experienced  men  in  charge  of 
the  work.  Third,  that  the  road  work  can  not  be  used  as  a 
political  football,  and  the  road  forces  used  as  a  medium  for 
paying  political  debts,  and  at  the  same  time  the  people  get 
a  satisfactory  expenditure  of  their  money  and  a  good  system 
of  roads.  It  may  be  that  in  my  treatment  of  this  subject  I 
shall  seem  to  depart  somewhat  widely  from  it  and  to  discuss 
certain  subjects  that  have  been  assigned  to  others,  but  I 
beg  their  pardon,  because  in  doing  this  it  is  only  to  be  able 
to  emphasize  more  fully  certain  points  of  my  own  subject 
that  I  wish  to  bring  out. 

As  a  business  proposition  it  seems  to  me  that  it  is  neces- 
sary that  we  should  consider  our  subject  applicable  to  the 
very  beginning  of  a  road  organization,  namely,  the  members 
of  a  highway  commission.  This  commission  should  be  as 
far  as  possible  non-political  and  made  up  of  men  who  are 
interested  in  the  road  work  of  their  state,  and  so  appointed 
that  only  a  certain  percentage  of  their  number  shall  retire 
at  one  time.  And  this  commission  work  shall  have  a  similar 
relation  to  the  highway  work  that  a  board  of  directors  has 
to  the  work  of  its  corporation.  In  some  states  the  members 
of  the  highway  commission  are  appointed  directly  by  the 
governor  of  the  state  and  represent  the  state  at  large.  In 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  291 

others,  they  have  to  be  appointed  from  certain  districts  of 
the  state,  so  that  each  section  of  that  state  shall  be  repre- 
sented on  the  commission.  Members  of  the  commission  are 
sometimes  designated  by  the  general  assembly  of  a  state. 
In  certain  instances  they  are  members  of  a  council  of  the 
'state;  in  others  they  are  professors  of  civil  engineering  in 
the  state  university,  or  the  college.  In  other  states  it  is  a 
combination  of  both  such  appointments.  In  several  states 
the  personnel  of  the  commission  is  so  regulated  that  at 
least  a  certain  percentage  must  be  of  the  minority  political 
party  of  that  state.  Now,  these  varied  methods  of  forming 
a  highway  commission  have  to  my  mind  been  brought  about 
undoubtedly  by  the  people  beginning  to  realize  that  their 
highway  commission  must  be  appointed  or  made  up  solely 
in  the  interest  of  the  highway  work  of  the  state.  As  the 
people  realize  the  necessity  of  this  and  demand  it,  they 
can  and  will  obtain  the  kind  of  a  commission  they  want. 
The  term  of  service  of  such  commissioners  or  members 
of  a  highway  commission  should  be  of  sufficient  length  so 
that  they  can  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  needs 
of  the  state  in  connection  with  highway  work,  and  it  seems 
to  me  that  in  all  commissions  no  member  of  the  commission 
should  be  appointed  for  less  than  four,  and  preferably  six 
or  eight  years.  To  the  commission  should  be  given  the 
authority  over  the  state  highway  engineers  or  state 
highway  commissioners,  as  they  are  called  in  some  states, 
for  with  a  commission  as  outlined  and  being  demanded  by 
the  people  of  a  state,  much  better  results  will  be  obtained  by 
the  appointment  of  the  engineer  than  if  he  is  appointed 
by  the  governor  of  the  state  whose  term  of  office  in  many 
states  is  only  two  years.  To  the  commission  should  also  be 
given  the  authority  to  designate  the  salary  of  the  state  high- 
way engineer  and  all  other  employees. 

With  this  authority  the  commission  is  in  position  to  ob- 
tain the  services  of  an  engineer  who  is  in  every  way  qualified 
to  fill  the  position  required.  He  must  be  a  man  of  wide 
experience  in  highway  work  and  also  have  executive  ability. 
1  believe  that  such  a  commission  will  appoint  the  state 
highway  engineer  on  account  of  merit  and  not  for  political 
reason;  on  account  of  worth  and  not  for  favoritism.  The 
length  of  service  of  the  engineer  should  be  determined 
and  will  be  determined  in  cases  of  this  sort  by  merit  and 
what  he  is  able  to  do.  But  I  think  it  is  well  that  the  en- 
gineer should  be  retained  for  a  certain,  definite  number  of 
years,  if  we  are  going  to  be  able  to  get  the  best  sort  of 
engineering  staff  .for  this  sort  of  work;  but  I  do  not  be- 
lieve it  is  as  important  that  the  engineer  himself  at  the 
beginning  should  be  hired  for  a  certain  definite  number  of 
years  as  it  is  that  the  members  of  a  commission  should 


292  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

hold  their  positions  for  a  series  of  four,  or,  to  my  mind, 
even  better,  eight  years.  The  value  of  such  an  engineer 
to  the  state  obtaining  his  services  rapidly  increases  with 
the  length  of  service,  and  therefore  it  is  to  the  material  ad- 
vantage of  the  state  to  retain  the  services  of  such  a  man; 
and  the  engineer  must  have  some  assurance  that  the  char- 
acter of  his  work  will  determine  his  length  of  service. 

When  the  engineer  is  appointed  by  the  governor  there  is 
very  apt  to  be  a  change  of  engineers  with  change  of  gov- 
ernors, particularly  if  there  is  a  political  party  change  at 
the  same  time.  With  the  appointment  by  a  commission  as 
outlined  above,  where  their  tenure  of  office  is  from  four 
to  eight  years  and  they  don't  all  go  out  at  the  same  time, 
there  is  but  little  chance  of  change  of  state  highway  en- 
gineer even  when  there  is  a  change  of  political  party.  For 
comparison,  many  state  universities  are  governed  by  boards 
of  trustees  appointed  by  the  general  assembly  or  by  the 
governor  and  these  boards  elect  the  president  of  the  uni- 
versity. We  do  not  expect  such  a  president  to  be  changed 
because  a  new  governor  has  been  elected  or  because  the 
other  political  party  has  come  into  power.  Why  cannot  the 
same  procedure  be  expected  in  the  appointment  of  our  state 
highway  engineer?  I  not  only  think  we  should  expect  it, 
but  we  will  have  it.  The  people  of  a  state  would  not  stand 
for  the  change  of  our  president  of  the  university  because 
of  the  political  change  in  governor,  and  the  people  are  not 
going  to  stand  much  longer  such  changes  for  the  state  high- 
way engineer  and  similar  officers. 

The  people  will  dictate  when  aroused  and  they  are  now 
dictating  that  political  changes  in  governor  shall  not  cause 
changes  in  our  highway  forces.  The  state  highway  en- 
gmeer  should  be  entrusted  with  the  selection  of  all  others 
who  are  to  carry  on  the  road  work  of  the  state,  and  their 
appointment,  of  course,  will  be  subject  to  the  approval 
of  the  commission.  This  again  is  in  accord  with  the  pro- 
cedure that  is  in  connection  with  our  state  universities, 
where  the  president  selects  with  the  approval  of  his  trustees 
the  professors,  instructors  and  others  connected  with  the 
fcrce  of  the  university. 

Again,  the  state  highway  engineer  must  have  authority 
to  discharge  any  and  all  employees  connected  with  the  road 
work.  Many  a  state  highway  engineer  today,  I  am  sorry 
to  say,  is  handicapped  in  his  work  by  having  in  his  depart- 
ment men  who  are  inefficient,  but  for  political  reasons  must 
not  be  removed  from  office.  This  is  wrong  and  is  not  fair 
to  the  engineer;  and  also  it  is  decidedly  not  in  the  interests 
of  the  state.  In  the  selection  of  his  assistants  the  state 
engineer  must  of  necessity  obtain  such  men  as  are  qualified 
to  do  satisfactorily  the  work  required  of  them,  and  being 
in  a  position  to  assure  them  that  their  length  of  service 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  293 

and  remuneration  will  be  dependent  upon  their  ability  and 
development,  will  enable  him  to  secure  a  higher  class  of 
men  for  the  work.  An  assistant  engineer  who  continues 
in  the  service  of  the  highway  engineer  should  become  more 
and  more  valuable  to  him  and  the  work  of  the  state  and  if 
he  does  not  develop  in  this  way  his  service  either  will 
not  be  needed  or  he  will  be  retained  with  no  advance  in 
salary. 

Permanency  of  employment  of  road  officials  is  unquestion- 
ably in  the  interest  of  economic  road  building,  while  a  con- 
stant change  by  a  state  of  its  highway  engineer  is  to  be 
deplored  because  -it  will  usually  mean  a  contant  change  of 
policy  instead  of  a  continuing  and  expanding  policy;  and  it 
is  most  disastrous  to  state  road  work  for  the  road  forces 
tinder  the  engineer  to  be  constantly  changing. 

In  this  connection  compare  the  work  of  the  state  of 
Massachusetts  with  a  continuing  policy  with  the  road  work 
in  New  York  state  with  a  changing  policy,  and  we  will 
find  that  the  result  of  the  work  accomplished  and  the  roads 
built  is  all  in  favor  of  the  state  of  Massachusetts.  The 
m.erit  system  is  not  only  applicable  to  the  engineers,  but 
to  superintendents,  foremen,  and  in  fact  every  man  on  the 
job.  A  superintendent's  value  is  dependent  upon  how  suc- 
cessfully he  can  follow  out  and  carry  out  the  instructions 
of  the  engineer  and  handle  his  construction  and  maintenance 
forces;  and  this  latter  will  depend  largely  upon  how  wisely 
the  superintendent  has  selected  his  foremen  who  are  in 
actual  charge  of  the  laborers.  It  is  practical  for  the  engineer 
to  keep  in  close  touch  with  all  construction  work,  so  that 
by  means  of  a  system  of  cost  accounting  he  will  know  ac- 
curately the  value  of  each  foreman;  and  if  a  certain  fore- 
man is  not  obtaining  similar  results  in  the  same  kind  of 
work  and  with  similar  equipment  as  the  other  foremen  then 
he  is  not  the  man  for  the  place.  I  could  cite  instances 
where  counties  have  saved  thousands  of  dollars  from  the 
fact  that  the  engineer  was  able  to  know  what  his  superin- 
tendents and  foremen  were  worth  to  him,  and  on  the  other 
hand  we  have  instances  where  counties  have  undoubtedly 
lost  as  much  as  fifteen  thousand  dollars  out  of  a  bond  issue 
ol  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  by  not  keeping  an  accurate 
cost  account  or  knowing  the  value  of  the  foremen  and 
svperintendents  of  the  road  construction  work.  The  men 
under  the  foremen  and  superintendents,  realizing  that  their 
employment  is  dependent  upon  this,  and  that  if  they  make 
good  their  employment  is  practically  continuous,  will  give 
better  and  better  results  the  longer  they  continue  in  the 
service  of  the  engineer  and  consequently  are  of  more  value 
to  him.  Are  they  therefore  not  worth  more  money  and 
is  he  not  warranted  in  paying  higher  salaries? 


2H  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

In  my  own  state,  North  Carolina,  we  are  inaugurating  a 
system  by  which  our  better  superintendents  and  foremen 
are  constantly  at  work,  and  we  do  this  and  have  been  doing 
it  for  some  time  by  having  arrangements  made  by  which  we 
transfer  them  from  one  county  to  another  county  and  even 
from  township  to  township;  and  we  are  now  in  such  shape 
that  we  command  the  services  of  the  best  men  of  this 
v/ork  throughout  the  whole  state.  When  our  road  men 
realize  that  merit  will  count  we  are  then  in  a  position  to 
get  the  best  results  and  are  able  to  give  our  men  the  best 
or  encouragement  in  regard  to  their  future  services. 

It  may  be  that  I  have  been  outlining  perhaps  too  much 
of  an  ideal  in  regard  to  the  merit  system  of  road  work,  but  I 
do  know  that  it  is  possible  to  have  passed  laws  that  will 
enable  us  to  carry  out  to  a  very  large  degree  what  I  have 
outlined. 

In  North  Carolina  it  is  only  within  the  past  year  that  we 
have  established  the  state  highway  commission.  Previous 
to  this  year  the  state  work  has  been  done  under  the  geo- 
logical and  economic  survey.  We  have  had  passed  there 
a  law  governing  the  state  highway  commission  which  I 
have  outlined  in  connection  with  what  I  speak  of  as  the 
merit  system  in  the  road  forces,  and  we  believe  that  fol- 
lowing out  the  ideas  in  that  law  we  are  going  to  be  able 
to  get  much  better  results  than  we  possibly  could  in  any 
other  way.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  I  know  that  Dr.  Pratt 
will  be  very  glad  to  answer  any  questions  that  you  would 
like  to  ask  and  I  wish  the  delegates,  as  these  papers  are 
read  or  the  discussions  take  place,  would  fix  upon  some  par- 
ticular thought  in  which  they  are  interested  and  just  hold 
that  thought  until  the  paper  is  through  and  then  give  the 
other  delegates  the  benefit  of  that  thought  by  asking  that 
question.  I  many  times  have  delivered  a  talk  and  after 
I  had  concluded,  although  I  had  opened  the  question  box 
and  had  gotten  down  into  the  audience,  someone  would 
come  and  ask  me  a  question,  a  vital  question.  I  would 
say,  "Oh,  my  dear  sir,  why  didn't  you  ask  me  that  question 
when  I  was  on  the  platform."  It  was  such  a  splendid  ques- 
tion and  it  would  have  done  such  a  world  of  good  and 
shed  such  light  upon  that  particular  subject.  Now,  don't 
let  us  go  away  with  that  proposition  to  contend  with.  If 
you  have  got  a  thought  in  your  mind,  I  don't  care  how 
simple  it  is,  someone  might  have  a  question  in  their  mind 
and  they  are  afraid  to  ask  it.  Just  put  it  down  in  your 
mind  or  on  a  piece  of  paper  and  feel  free  to  ask  it.  I 
know  that  Dr.  Pratt  will  be  very  glad  to  answer  any 
questions  in  regard  to  his  valuable  paper.  Some  of  your 
states  that  have  not  entered  into  this  movement  at  all  can 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  295 

get  many  good  points  from  Dr.  Pratt's  talk,  because  he 
has  completely  covered  the  ground,  and  I  know  he  will  be 
glad  to  have  developed  some  thought  in  your  mind. 

If  there  are  no  questions  to  be  asked  we  will  take  up 
"The  Determination  of  the  Justifiable  Outlay  for  Specific 
Cases  of  Highway  Improvement,"  the  valuable  paper  that 
Mr.  Hill  read.  Mr.  Clifford  Richardson  came  all  the  way 
over  here  from  New  York  City  intending  to  present  his 
paper  himself,  but  he  was  taken  with  a  very  severe  cold 
and  it  so  interfered  with  his  being  heard  that  he  wanted 
to  present  the  paper  and  simply  have  it  incorporated  in  the 
proceedings,  but  it  was  such  a  valuable  paper  that  we 
thought  we  better  have  it  open  for  discussion,  inasmuch 
as  we  had  with  us  Mr.  Henry  Welles  Durham,  who  has  had 
charge  of  that  great  construction  area  known  as  the  Borough 
of  Manhattan,  New  York  City,  as  chief  engineer  of  high- 
ways. Having  heard  that  paper  read  by  Mr.  Hill  you  will 
all  be  very  glad  to  have  Mr.  Henry  Welles  Durham  take 
up  the  question  and  develop  the  thought.  I  take  great  pleas- 
ure in  introducing  to  the  delegates  Mr.  Henry  Welles  Dur- 
ham, formerly  chief  engineer  of  highways,  Borough  of  Man- 
hattan, New  York.  (Applause.)  «, 

HENRY  WELLES  DURHAM:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Gen- 
tlemen: When  I  was  asked  to  contribute  to  the  discussion 
of  this  valuable  paper  of  Mr.  Richardson,  I  was  told  that 
the  discussion  would  be  on  the  subject  and  not  on  the  mat- 
ter of  the  paper,  and  I  was  not  furnished  at  the  time  with 
a  copy  of  Mr.  Richardson's  remarks.  After  hearing  Mr. 
Richardson's  paper  read  and  after  I  had  written  my  few 
remarks  on  the  subject,  and  also  had  a  chance  to  see  what 
he  had  prepared,  I  'was  somewhat  nonplussed,  like  the  Lon- 
don cab  driver  who  was  asked  why  he  didn't  answer  the 
other  fellow  back,  when  he  said,  "How  can  I?  He  has 
used  all  the  best  words."  (Laughter.)  I  looked  over  my 
remarks  and  found  that  a  few  of  them  had  better  be  cut 
out,  they  having  been  better  expressed  by  Mr.  Richardson. 
But  from  my  experience  in  a  slightly  different  line  from 
his  I  wrote  down  a  few  thoughts  on  the  subject  which,  as 
he  very  well  says,  forms  a  whole  treatise  in  itself,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  can  only  be  briefly  touched  on. 

The    Determination    of    the    Justifiable    Outlay    for    Specific 
Cases  of  Highway  Improvement 

By  HENRY  WELLES  DURHAM 
Consulting  Engineer,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

In  any  given  case,  whatever  the  class  of  road  considered, 
our  maximum  possible  expenditure  is  limited  by  the  means 
of  the  road  purchaser — be  it  private  individual  or  corpora- 
tion, town,  country,  city  or  state — and  all  expenditures  be- 
yond this  limit  however  desirable  fall  outside  our  considera- 


296  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

tion  into  the  realms  of  abstract  theory.  Again  we  are  con- 
fronted by  what  may  be  termed  a  minimum  possible  expendi- 
ture worthy  of  consideration  which  may  be  taken  as  the  value 
of  the  annual  damage  or  maintenance  caused  by  the  existing 
traffic  in  our  assumed  case,  to  a  road  surface  adequate  to 
carry  it,  plus  the  value  of  financing  its  original  construction. 
Between  these  limits,  if  we  have  a  positive  difference  there 
is  room  for  engineering  study — if  negative  the  engineer  must 
await  the  work  of  the  doctor  of  finance  and  the  end  of  hard 
times. 

Our  discussion  must  be  based  on  the  assumption  that  the 
investor  in  roads  is  in  sound  condition  and  able  to  pay  for 
what  he  needs  to  allow  of  the  proper  development  of  his 
territory.  As  engineers,  true  to  our  traditions,  we  must  pro- 
vide that  which  will  do  the  work  required  at  minimum  cost 
and  therefore  the  variation  between  our  assumed  limits  of 
range  of  justifiable  outlay  is  actually  zero,  for  no  individual 
or  body,  however  rich,  should  afford,  economically  consid- 
ered, to  pay  more  than  actual  value  for  needed  improve- 
ments. 

Our  problem,  therefore,  is,  in  brief:  What  is  the  road 
which  will  best  serve  conditions  encountered  in  this  par- 
ticular case?  Its  solution  must  be  reached  in  exactly  the 
same  way  as  is  done  in  planning  work  in  other  lines  of 
engineering.  Particularly  does  the  work  of  the  railway  de- 
signer furnish  a  parallel  for  the  proper  course  for  the  high- 
way planner.  On  a  large  railway  system  when  a  particular 
improvement  is  planned,  what  is  the  course  followed?  Is  it 
like  that  in  many  cases  of  highway  work  in  our  country? 
If  so,  those  in  charge  of  the  suggested  branch  line,  extra 
siding,  low  grade  relief  line  or  cut-off  would  study  the  prob- 
lem before  them  as  an  original  unit.  They  would  take  a 
vote  of  the  villagers  on  the  type  of  track  construction  to  be 
employed.  Careful  specifications  for  rails  and  ties  would 
be  worked  out  from  original  studies  and  time  would  be  spent 
on  the  decision  as  to  a  suitable  track  gauge  and  bridge  clear- 
ance based  on  local  traffic  studies.  As  a  matter  of  fact  such 
was  often  the  case  in  the  early  days  of  the  railroad,  but  as 
individual  lines  gradually  became  parts  of  great  systems  it 
was  seen  that  planning  for  parts  must  be  done  with  the 
whole  in  view — that  proper  coordination  required  a  design 
working  from  the  whole  to  the  part  rather  than  in  the  re- 
verse direction. 

It  has  long  been  recognized  in  the  most  progressive  'foreign 
countries  and  recently  in  some  of  our  states  that  highways 
must  be  planned  in  the  same  way  as  parts  of  a  great  system 
properly  coordinated  and  inter-dependent  and  not  as  spe- 
cific units.  No  matter  how  small  may  be  the  particular  case 
of  highway  improvement  under  consideration  the  justifiable 
outlay  cannot  be  considered  as  having  been  properly  de- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  297 

termined  if  it  is  studied  only  by  itself.  Not  only  is  each  road 
or  street  merely  one  of  the  elements  of  a  large  system,  but 
the  traffic  which  determines  the  type  of  improvement  adopted 
may  itself  be  altered  by  the  solution  it  suggested.  Our 
problem  is  incapable  of  an  exact  solution,  having  an  excess 
of  variables.  To  arrive  at  the  approximation  to  exactness 
which  is  the  most  we  can  hope  for  there  must  first  be  de- 
termined not  only  the  present  day  traffic  for  the  route  in 
question,  but  also  the  probable  traffic  at  the  end  of  a  period 
assumed  to  be  the  useful  life  of  the  surface  which  will  be 
selected.  In  other  words,  our  result  is  only  obtained  by  a 
series  of  trial  solutions  with  two  large  unknown  factors  to 
be  assumed. 

Our  methods  can  have  little  of  the  exactness  of  the  bridge 
designer  and  use  more  assumptions  than  the  formulae  of  the 
hydraulic  engineer.  Fundamentally  all  correct  highway  de- 
sign must  depend  on  the  old  economic  principles  which  are 
sometimes  forgotten  but  never  superseded. 

1.  We  can  get  no  more  (though  we  may  have  less)   than 
equivalent  value  for  our  expenditures  great  or  small. 

2.  Service   or   life   of  any  human  piece   of  construction  is 
inversely  proportional  to  the  extent  of  its  use. 

3.  Permanent  construction  is  impossible. 

Much  time  and  ingenuity  have  been  expended  unsuccess- 
fully in  attempts  to  controvert  these  facts. 

While  the  fact  that  roads  must  be  considered  as  parts  of 
a  system  is  known  to  those  charged  with  road  design  and 
maintenance,  there  is  less  recognition  that  in  our  municipali- 
ties the  question  is  essentially  the  same.  Although  city 
planning  gradually  has  been  given  consideration,  the  term 
is  restricted  by  most  to  the  actual  laying  out  of  a  city  map, 
with  routes  of  circulation  and  civic  centers,  and  so-called 
city  planners  have  based  large  reputations  on  attempts  to 
adopt  the  map  of  Paris  or  Washington  to  our  towns  and 
villages. 

Too  few  thus  far  have  followed  the  matter  farther,  but 
the  decision  as  to  type  of  surface  employed  on  any  city  street 
should  be  only  the  last  detail  working  down  in  regular 
sequence  from  the  city  plan.  In  an  ideal  city  we  would  have 
development  districted,  providing  definite  classes  of  traffic 
for  different  streets.  Pipes  and  other  subsurface  structures 
would  be  planned  and  built  with  an  orderly  arrangement 
and  a  future  capacity  that  would  reduce  to  a  minimum  the 
need  of  making  openings  in  the  pavements  and  hence  would 
allow  the  latter  to  be  planned  with  a  view  to  their  wearing 
out  under  wheel  traffic  rather  than  to  suffer  destruction 
under  the  pick  and  crowbar,  and  this  would  mean  that  for 
each  street  the  class  of  surface  most  suitable  for  the  condi- 
tions to  be  encountered  would  be  planned  throughout  the 
entire  municipality.  When  the  question  of  expenditures  for 


298  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

improvement  on  a  particular  unit  came  up  for  solution  the 
justifiable  outlay  would  have  but  one  variable  factor:  What  is 
the  extent  of  surface  we  wish  to  construct  at  the  present 
time?  It  must  be  freely  conceded  not  only  that  this  ideal 
exists  nowhere,  bfit  that  it  probably  never  will. 

Let  us  go  to  the  other  extreme  and  briefly  review  our 
present  American  municipal  method  of  settling  our  problems 
and  see  where  it  can  be  improved.  Assume  a  growing  dis- 
trict well  within  the  city  limits  but  only  recently  having  had 
its  streets  and  lots  graded  and  the  necessary  street  mains  laid. 
It  is  well  supplied  with  nearby  public  transit  lines  and  its 
real  estate  owners  are  rapidly  developing  it  for  apartment 
houses  and  stores  so  that  it  will  soon  be  solidly  built  up 
and  require  that  its  streets  have  a  permanent  pavement  for 
moderate  traffic  which  in  a  few  years  may  be  heavy.  Let  us 
grant  that  instead  of  being  laid  out  as  best  suits  the  par- 
ticular developers  of  the  district  in  question,  its  plan  has  been 
properly  interlocked  with  that  of  the  city  as  a  whole.  The 
necessary  legal  steps  are  then  taken  to  start  the  work  of 
paving  the  streets  by  the  municipal  authorities  at  the  expense 
of  the  properties  benefited. 

Here  we  have  our  municipal  highway  department  con- 
fronted with  the  problem  that  forms  the  subject-  of  our  dis- 
cussion. But  is  it  solved  by  such  a  discussion,  by  those 
qualified  by  experience  to  decide  just  what  shall  be  the  justi- 
fiable outlay  to  be  encountered?  Perhaps,  sometimes.  More 
often  those  paying  the  assessment  claim  the  right  to  decide 
what  shall  be  bought.  Superficially  this  seems  reasonable. 
Actually  it  is  absolutely  wrong.  The  taxpayers  foot  the  bills 
for  water  supply  and  for  sewers,  but  assert  no  right  to  a 
voice  in  the  expert  work  of  design.  Their  ability  is  no 
greater  to  select  a  pavement  with  wisdom,  perhaps  it  is  less, 
but  because  it  is  under  everyone's  foot  and  forms  his  closest 
means  of  contact  with  his  municipal  government  no  citizen 
is  too  ignorant  in  his  own  estimation  to  decide  the  question 
of  suitable  street  wearing  surfaces  and  their  relative  values 
and  costs.  Nor  does  presumed  intelligence  and  high  stand- 
ing in  the  community  bring  with  it  either  wisdom  on  this 
subject  or  in  its  place  deference  to  expert  knowledge.  The 
elected  executive  head  of  one  of  our  communities  of  over 
2,000,000  inhabitants  after  presiding  for  an  hour  over  a  dis- 
cussion between  his  highway  bureau  engineers  and  representa- 
tives of  certain  paving  contractors  betrayed  inadvertantly  his 
comprehension  of  the  whole  subject  by  a  casual  remark  in- 
dicating his  belief  that  sheet  asphalt  pavements  were  rolled 
up  like  carpets  and  relaid  as  an  incident  to  maintenance  work. 
And,  ignorance  is  not  the  only  difficulty.  One  of  our  munici- 
pal subdivisions  has  for  years  shown  a  fondness  for  one 
class  of  pavement  in  its  newly  laid-out  districts  hardly  ex- 
plicable as  due  to  a  deep  seated  conviction  on  the  part  of  a 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  299 

community  of  paving  experts.  As  the  surface  in  question 
costs  more  originally  and  is  harder  to  maintain  subsequently 
than  another  type  seldom  favored  and  as  only  one  bidder 
ever  takes  contracts  on  the  preferred  material  while  on  the 
other  the  field  is  open,  the  conviction  becomes  strong  that 
the  signers  of  the  petitions  have  been  subject  to  commercial 
"acceleration." 

Examples  like  this  could  be  multiplied  from  the  experience 
of  all  who  have  had  to  do  with  highway  construction.  We 
may  not  be  able  nor  might  it  be  desirable  in  a  world  of 
ordinary  mortals,  to  bring  about  a  Utopian  municipality  where 
everything  is  perfect  and  there  is  no  farther  incentive  for  the 
ambitious  striver  after  the  unattainable.  What  can  be  ac- 
complished and  is  on  its  way  now  to  accomplishment  is  the 
attainment  of  a  willingness  in  our  communities  to  place 
expert  problems  in  the  hands  of  experts  for  solution,  to  con- 
centrate authority  and  with  it  to  demand  responsibility,  in 
fine — to  take  our  technical  departments  and  their  workers 
out  of  politics. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Now,  gentlemen,  who  is 
going  to  be  the  first  one  to  ask  some  question  in  regard  to 
this  very  important  matter?  Perhaps  you  have  no  politics 
out  here. 

MR.  KENYON:  Just  to  illustrate  one  of  the  points  that  I 
experienced  once  in  Paris.  I  stopped  to  ask  a  property 
owner  what  kind  of  an  improvement  that  was  that  they 
were  putting  down.  It  was  in  the  evening.  I  asked  him 
what  kind  and  what  was  the  cost.  He  said,  "Why,  I  don't 
know.  You  must  go  to  the  engineer,  the  experts,  they  will 
tell  you  about  that."  I  says,  "What?  Do  you  mean  to  tell 
me  that  every  property  owner  and  taxpayer  in  this  block 
and  along  this  street  don't  know  what  kind  of  a  pavement 
this  is  and  what  it  costs  and  had  his  hand  in  deciding  what 
kind  should  be  put  down?"  He  says,  "Why,  no.  We  leave 
that  to  the  experts."  I  said,  "Over  where  I  live  in  Am- 
erica the  property  owners  along  the  street  get  together,  or 
separately,  and  each  one  is  in  favor  of  one  kind  or  another, 
and  in  that  way  they  decide  what  kind  of  a  pavement  they 
should  have."  He  says,  "Is  that  so?  Are  they  as  smart 
as  that  in  America?"  (Laughter.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Brother  Kenyon,  you 
started  in  fine.  Now,  has  any  other  delegate  got  a  little 
incident? 

MR.  TERRACE:  I  want  to  take  exception  to  the  brother 
from  Indiana.  Sometimes  experts  don't  agree.  I  was  on 
a  jury  a  little  while  ago.  We  were  condemning  for  the  Lake 
Washington  canal  for  the  government.  Among  other 
things  there  was  a  water  system  that  was  going  to  have 
to  be  condemned.  The  county  hired  two  experts  and  they 


300  PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD   CONGRESS 

came  in.  They  had  analyzed  all  the  ingredients  in  that 
water.  They  pronounced  the  water  bad,  not  fit  for  human 
use.  The  company  had  their  two  experts.  They  had 
analyzed  the  water — every  ingredient  in  it — and  they 
brought  in  a  verdict  of  good,  pure  water.  Now,  there  the 
experts  couldn't  agree  and  it  was  up  to  eight  ordinary 
farmers  and  four  laborers  to  decide  that  question.  We  de- 
cided this  way.  We  will  go  out  there  and  we  will  drink 
the  water  ourselves  and  we  will  take  it  home  and  we  will 
boil  it  out  and  we  will  make  tea  and  coffee  of  it  and  we  will 
bring  in  a  verdict  according  to  our  finding.  We  did  it  and 
we  pronounced  it  good,  pure  water.  (Laughter.) 

MR.  GASH:  This  question  of  the  experts  agreeing  re- 
minds me  of  a  circumstance  that  happened  in  Utah  a  few 
years  ago.  Parley  L.  Williams  is  one  of  the  best  lawyers 
I  ever  saw,  a  highly  cultured  gentleman,  as  some  of  the 
delegates  here  well  know.  They  were  having  a  great  min- 
ing suit  and  during  the  procedure  after  the  facts  were  all 
it  each  side  brought  in  their  mining  experts  as  witnesses. 
There  were  many  thousands  of  dollars  involved  in  the  law 
suit,  and  these  mining  experts  as  witnesses  differed  very 
materially.  The  point  of  the  story  is  that  when  it  came  to 
the  argument  Parley  in  his  beautiful  way  said,  "We  have 
three  different  kinds  of  liars.  We  have  the  ordinary  liar;  we 
have  the  damn  liar,  and  we  have  the  mining  expert."  (Laugh- 
ter.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  That  was  really  nice  and 
enlivened  the  occasion.  Now  we  will  see  what  we  have 
here  for  the  next  subject.  "Convict  Labor  for  Highway 
Work."  We  have  a  paper  here  by  G.  P.  Coleman,  state 
highway  commissioner  of  Virginia.  I  think  Mr.  Coleman  is 
not  here.  Mr.  Willoughby,  will  you  kindly  read  his  paper. 
It  is  a  very  important  matter.  States  are  thinking  about 
this  very  seriously  and  I  think  we  had  better  have  this 
paper  read.  Mr.  Willoughby  suggests  that  while  read- 
ing the  paper  he  will  be  very  glad  to  stop  and  explain  the 
particular  paragraph  he  has  just  read  as  far  as  he  is  able. 


Convict  Labor  for  Highway  Work 

By  G.  P.  COLEMAN 
State  Highway  Commissioner  of  Virginia 

The  first  reference  I  have  been  able  to  find  of  criminals 
used  in  highway  construction  in  Virginia  was  from  a  pam- 
phlet published  in  1848.  These  prfsoners  were  hired  out  to 
the  contractors,  I  suppose  by  the  state,  since  I  have  not 
been  able  to  find  a  law  on  the  subject.  They  were  fed  and 
guarded  by  the  contractor,  who  was  also  required  to  give 
a  bond  for  the  return  of  the  men  on  the  completion  of  their 
sentences.  This  manner  of  working  the  men  was  ended  by 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  301 

the  Civil  War.  I  understand  that  similar  arrangements  were 
made  by  a  number  of  the  other  states,  but  so  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  discover,  very  lew  men  were  used  in  this  way. 
Just  after  the  reconstruction  period,  Virginia  established 
what  is  known  as  the  county  chain  gang,  or  county  road 
gang  system.  Under  this  plan  a  county  could  establish  a 
prison  road  camp,  using  men  from  its  jails  in  grading  and 
improving  its  roads. 

In  addition  to  this  plan,  the  state  agreed  to  furnish  to 
such  counties  as  would  make  application  for  them,  a  force  of 
prisoners  from  the  state  penitentiary,  to  be  used  in  road  im- 
provement, the  superintendent  of  the  penitentiary  to  use  his 
judgment  in  the  selection  of  the  proper  men  for  road  work, 
the  county  agreeing  to  feed,  clothe,  guard  and  otherwise 
provide  for  them  and  to  return  them  to  the  penitentiary  at 
the  expiration  of  their  sentences.  The  superintendent  of 
the  penitentiary  had  general  supervision  of  these  camps  and 
made  such  rules  and  regulations  from  time  to  time  as  he 
saw  fit  or  deemed  necessary.  I  recall  visiting  two  of  these 
camps  some  twenty-odd  years  ago  and  my  recollection  is 
that  they  were  run  without  any  regard  to  ordinary  sanitary 
rules  or  regulations.  Should  a  prisoner  escape,  the  county 
paid  all  the  expense  of  the  recapture,  or,  failing  to  recapture, 
the  county  was  fined  by  the  state.  This  plan  was  either  not 
very  popular,  or  else  the  counties  did  not  realize  the  necessity 
for  improved  road  work,  since  only  a  few  counties  availed 
themselves  of  this  privilege.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  only  four 
counties  of  the  one  hundred  had  camps  of  this  kind  irt 
1905. 

This  then,  brings  us  to  the  law  under  which  we  are  now 
working.  The  legislature  of  1906,  realizing  that  some  definite 
action  must  be  taken  by  it  for  the  upbuilding  and  improve- 
ment of  the  public  highways  of  the  state,  passed  what  is 
known  as  the  Withers-Lassiter  law  and  created  the  present 
state  convict  road  force.  -Under  this  law  the  road  authorities 
of  a  county  desiring  to  improve  their  roads  make  application 
to  the  Sta,te  Highway  Commissioner  for  a  camp  of  prisoners. 
The  commissioner  makes  requisition  on  the  superintendent 
of  the  penitentiary  for  the  number  of  men  he  thinks  it  ad- 
visable to  employ  on  the  particular  piece  of  construction. 
These  camps  vary  in  size  from  thirty-five  to  eighty-five  men. 
A  sergeant  with  from  three  to  five  guards  is  sent  out  with 
each  camp.  These  sergeants  and  guards  are  selected  from 
a  list  furnished  the  superintendent  of  the  penitentiary  by  the 
highway  commissioner,  and  must  be  discharged  on  his  writ- 
ten request.  The  sergeant  receives  from  $600  to  $900  and 
board  per  annum,  and  the  guards  from  $300  to  $420  and 
board  per  annum.  These  salaries  compare  favorably  with 
those  paid  in  other  states.  The  camp  is  composed  of  three 
buildings  divided  into  a  sergeant's  and  guards'  house  of  two 


302  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

rooms;  a  sleeping  house  for  the  men,  composed  of  two  rows 
of  bunks  with  an  8-ft.  passageway  down  the  center,  and 
a  guard's  stand  at  one  end;  a"  dining  house,  divided  into 
a  dining  room  for  the  men,  a  dining  room  for  the  sergeant 
and  guards;  a  storeroom  for  supplies,  and  the  kitchen.  Camp 
sites  are  selected  with  a  great  deal  of  care,  particularly  with 
a  view  to  a  plentiful  supply  of  pure  water  and  proper  drain- 
age; also  that  the  walk  to  and  from  work  may  be  reduced 
to  a  minimum.  This,  in  the  most  extreme  cases,  should 
not  exceed  two  miles.  The  cooking  and  washing,  in  fact  all 
work  about  the  camp,  is  done  by  prisoners,  from  three  to 
five  men  being  assigned  to  this  work.  These  are  taken  from 
the  men  who  are  not  capable  of  doing  the  heavier  classes  of 
road  work.  The  men  are  divided  into  gangs  of  from  eight  to 
fifteen,  each  gang  being  in  charge  of  a  guard  or  a  foreman. 
When  possible  guards  should  be  used  as  foremen.  This  sys- 
tem, that  is  working  prisoners  under  guard,  is  generally  fol- 
lowed in  the  Southern  States.  In  the  Northern  and  Western 
States  the  men  for  road  work  are  selected  from  the  entire 
convict  body  and  only  the  better  class  of  men  are  used. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  in  Virginia  the  percentage  of  trusties 
to  the  entire  prison  population  is  greater  than  in  any  other 
state,  ranging  from  thirty  to  forty  per  cent.  The  escapes 
amount  to  little  less  than  .035  per  cent.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  there  were  132  escapes  and  88  recaptures  out  of  a  total 
of  3,509  men  handled.  The  road  work  proper  is  in  charge 
of  an  engineer  or  superintendent,  appointed  by  the  Highway 
Commissioner,  who  receives  from  $900  to  $1,500  per  annum. 
We  have  found  that  in  many  of  our  camps  we  can  combine 
the  duties  of  sergeant  and  superintendent  in  one  man,  saving 
something  in  salary,  and  a  great  deal  in  conflict  of  authority, 
since  we  have  found  it  very  difficult  to  accurately  define  the 
line  between  the  two. 

The  prisoners  are  trained  in  all  classes  of  road  work. 
Trusties  are  made  into  roller-men,  firemen,  blacksmiths,  car- 
penters, drill  runners,  concrete  men,  etc.,  the  trusties  being 
selected  by  the  sergeant  from  the  better  class  of  prisoners. 
The  state  convict  road  force  is  composed  of  all  male  con- 
victs, who  are  considered  safe  by  the  superintendent  of  the 
penitentiary  and  all  male  jail  men  over  sixteen  years  of  age, 
and  this  force  when  placed  on  a  county  road  or  in  a  county 
quarry  is  clothed,  fed,  guarded  and  transported  by  the  state 
and  placed  on  the  road  each  morning  free  of  all  cost  or  ex- 
pense to  the  county.  Prisoners  working  on  the  road  force 
have  for  good  behavior  a  reduction  of  four  days  per 
month  from  the  time  for  which  they  were  sentenced.  The 
last  legislature  appropriated  $200,000  and  the  jail  fees  for 
that  purpose.  The  men  cost  a  little  less  than  53  cents  per 
ten-hour  working  day,  which  is  divided  about  as  follows: 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  333 

Provisions    213 

Clothing    048 

Salaries     193 

Mileage    007 

All    other    expenses 067 

Total 528 

By  combining  the  duties  of  the  sergeant  and  superintendent 
of  construction  we  hope  to  very  much  reduce  the  salary 
charge. 

In  my  judgment  the  West  and  North  have  erred  in  at- 
tempting too  elaborate  meals,  while  the  South  has  erred  in 
making  them  too  monotonous.  It  is  certainly  true  that  the 
criminals  of  the  various  sections  are  different,  but  it  is  equally 
true  that  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  give  the  prisoner  a  more 
elaborate  or  a  more  meager  fare  than  he  was  accustomed 
to  as  a  free  man.  The  federal  government  had  undertaken 
some  experiments  along  this  line  and  will  no  doubt  issue  a 
bulletin  giving  the  results  obtained. 

The  county  road  authorities  agree  on  their  part  that  the 
work  shall  be  done  according  to  the  plans  and  specifications 
of  the  State  Highway  Commissioner,  and  under  an  engineer 
appointed  by  him,  and  further,  that  they  will  furnish  all 
teams,  tools,  materials,  etc.,  and  all  necessary  free  labor  to 
carry  on  the  work  systematically  and  economically.  This 
about  equally  divides  -the  cost  of  the  road  work  between  the 
county  and  the  state. 

In  the  last  two  or  three  years  so  much  has  been  written 
sentimentally  of  the  convict  as  a  "brother"  and  a  "pal,"  or 
cynically  as  a  "brute"  and  an  "outcast,"  that  it  has  made  it 
rather  difficult  for  those  of  us  who  are  trying  to  carry  on  the 
work  to  a  successful  and  practical  issue. 

The  question  divides  itself  into  two  heads — the  convict  as 
a  prisoner  and  as  a  citizen,  and  naturally  what  is  done  to 
improve  the  condition  of  a  convict  as  a  prisoner  will  make 
for  the  improvement  of  the  prisoner  as  a  citizen.  Therefore, 
it  behooves  us  who  have  to  come  in  touch  with  this  problem 
to  give  it  careful  study  and  consideration.  We  must  realize 
that  the  problem  which  confronts  us  is  a  world-old  one, 
where  the  criminal  using  all  his  wits  in  persistent  endeavor 
to  tear  down  the  laws  which  society  has  deemed  necessary 
for  the  protection  of  its  civilization,  and  with  this  to  learn 
two  things,  to  temper  our  punishment  of,  and  our  mercies  to 
him,  with  justice,  remembering  always  that  he  is  a  human 
being  who,  for  the  protection  of  all  of  us,  it  has  been  neces- 
sary to  confine  as  a  means  of  impressing  on  him  the  necessity 
for  obeying  the  law,  and  that  in  executing  this  law  it  is  our 
duty  to  use  our  utmost  endeavor  to  return  him  to  society 
better  able  to  cope  with  the  conditions  which  will  confront 
him  when  he  regains  his  freedom.  With  this  before  us  and 
after  nine  years  of  experience,  I  believe,  that  the  solution 
of  the  prison  question — certainly  in  Virginia — is  to  use  the 


304  PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD   CONGRESS 

men  in  the  construction  and  maintenance  of  our  roads.  In 
road  work  there  is  little  or  no  competition  with  free  labor. 
The  work  and  the  healthy  out-of-door  life  tends  to  build  up 
a  man  physically,  and  when  you  do  that  you  improve  him 
morally;  you  train  him  as  an  expert  in  handling  many  pieces 
of  road  machinery,  and,  therefore,  place  him  in  a  position  to 
earn  an  honest  living  after  his  confinement.  The  work  on 
which  he  is  engaged  is  one  of  pressing  need  to  the  public 
and  creates  in  the  worker  a  kind  of  pride  in  his  own  useful- 
ness. 

I  regret  that  I  am  not  familiar  with  the  convict  road  laws 
of  the  various  states,  but  from  such  as  I  have  seen,  and  using 
those  of  Virginia  as  a  basis,  I  believe  that  an  organization 
along  the  following  general  lines  will  meet  the  condition 
which  we  have  to  confront,  both  from  the  standpoint  of  an 
economist  and  a  penologist. 

There  is  nothing  new  in  the  following^plan,  the  adoption 
of  which  I  have  for  years,  first  as  assistant  Commissioner 
and  later  as  Commissioner,  urged  upon  the  Governor  and  the 
Legislature.  I  would  divide  the  prison  population  into  four 
classes,  and  as  a  matter  of  convenience  we  will  take  these 
classes  in  reverse  order:  Class  4,  long  term  and  dangerous 
men;  class  3,  short  term  convicts  and  jail  men;  class  2, 
trusties,  both  convicts  and  jail  prisoners;  class  1,  paroled 
men. 

Class  4  shall  include  all  murderers,  prisoners  sentenced  to 
the  penitentiary  for  second  or  third  offences,  men  with  rec- 
ords known  to  have  been  bad  prior  to  their  sentence.  These 
men  to  be  dressed  in  stripes — for,  although  I  own,  I  should 
prefer  some  other  distinguishing  mark  with  less  tendency  to 
humiliate  and  degrade  them,  I  realize  that  prisoners  of  this 
class  must  wear  some  badge  of  their  condition — and  worked 
under  guard  in  stockades  in  state  stone  quarries.  These 
quarries  to  be  located  advantageously,  that  is,  with  a  view 
to  the  section  they  are  to  serve,  and  on  some  railroad  or 
railroads  serving  that  section.  This  material  to  be  supplied 
to  the  counties  for  road  purposes  at  the  actual  cost  of  pro- 
•  ducing  the  same.  To  secure  an  economical  distribution  of 
this  material  it  would  be  necessary  to  obtain  very  low  trans- 
portation rates  from -the  railroads.  In  the  State  of  Virginia 
we  have  always  found  the  railroads  ready  and  willing  to  co- 
operate with  and  assist  the  department  in  its  work,  realizing 
that  the  highways  of  the  state  are  the  feeders  of  the  rail- 
roads and  that  the  development  of  the  two  goes  hand  in 
hand. 

Class  3  shall  be  composed  of  first  term  convicts  and  pris- 
oners from  the  city  and  county  jails  and  such  men  from 
class  4  as  by  experience  you  have  found  that  you  can 
trust,  even  in  a  small  degree.  These  men  should  have  some 
distinctive  dress  and  I  would  suggest  blue  or  brown.  The 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  305 

men  from  this  class  to  be  distributed  throughout  the  state  to 
the  various  state  road  camps  and  to  be  worked  under^  guard 
in  the  construction  of  the  county  or  district  roads,  a  small 
per  diem  to  be  paid  them  by  the  county,  one-half  of  which 
shall  be  paid  them  from  month  to  month  and  the  remainder 
to  be  paid  them  on  the  completion  of  their  sentence.  This 
would  insure  their  having  a  small  amount  of  money  when 
they  are  given  their  liberty. 

Class  2  to  be  made  up  of  trusties  or,  as  they  are  called  in 
some  states,  honor  men,  to  be  taken  from  class  3,  as  they 
develop  into  men  to  be  trusted.  These  men  to  wear  ordi- 
nary khaki  suits  and  to  be  worked  without  guards,  either 
in  camps  composed  entirely  of  trusties,  or  to  be  distributed 
to  the  other  state  road  camps  to  be  used  as  drivers,  cooks, 
yardmen,  enginemen,  roller-men,  in  small  gangs  to  spread 
stone  or  shape  road,  in  building  'concrete  bridges,  culverts 
and  headwalls.  These  men  to  be  paid  by  the  counties  in 
which  they  are  working,  but  rather  more  than  class  3,  and 
to  be  graded  in  their  pay  according  to  the  class  of  work 
which  they  are  doing. 

Class  1.  These  men  to  be  taken  from  class  2  and  to  be 
paroled  for  good  behavior  and  good  work,  on  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  State  Highway  Commissioner  and  the 
superintendent  of  the  penitentiary.  They  will  wear  ordinary 
clothing  and  are  to  be  paroled  to  the  Maintenance  Depart- 
ment of  the  State  Highway  Commission  and  assigned  by  it  to 
the  various  counties  of  the  state  to  be  used  as  patrolmen  or 
in  gangs  on  the  maintenance  of  the  roads  which  have  been 
constructed  under  the  state's  supervision.  They  are  to  be 
furnished  with  proper  quarters  and  to  be  paid  a  monthly 
salary  by  the  county  in  which  they  are  working,  the  amount 
of  this  wage  to  be  agreed  on  between  the  State  Highway 
Department  and  the  county  officials.  Paroled  men  under 
this  "system  would  be  made  a  regular  part  of  the  state  and 
county  fre£  labor  road  force,  the  only  difference  being  that 
the  men  would  be  required  to  report  monthly  to  some 
general  head  and  to  be  governed  by  the  parole  laws  of  the 
state. 

The  prisoners  are  now  being  trained  in  the  construction 
of  roads  and  it,  therefore,  follows  that  they  could  use  the 
knowledge  thus  obtained  in  the  maintenance  of  these  roads 
after  their  construction.  The  state  would,  in  this  way,  reap 
a  double  benefit  for  the  service  of  these  men,  giving  them 
honorable  employment  on  the  completion  of  their  prison 
terms  and  in  addition  getting  the  benefit  of  the  training 
which  they  have  received  during  their  confinement.  Along 
this  line  there  are  a  number  of  instances  where  the  men,  on 
the  completion  of  their  sentences,  have  been  employed  by 
the  contractors  as  free  laborers,  also  by  the  farmers  who 
live  near  the  work  on  which  they  have  been  engaged,  and 


306  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

by  the  road  force  of  the  county,  thus  keeping  them  away 
from  their  former  haunts. 

The  success  or  failure  of  your  convict  labor  road  work 
will  depend  on  the  man  in  charge.  But  given  a  man  of  firm- 
ness, one  with  strength  of  character  enough  to  keep  his  de- 
partment out  of  politics,  I  believe  you  will  have  solved  two 
very  important  questions,  the  betterment  of  your  criminal 
classes  and  the  improvement  of  your  roads. 


(Chairman  MacDonald  then  read  the  following  paper  by 
Mr.  Maloney,  who  was  absent,  opening  the  discussion.) 


Discussion  by  J.  £.  Maloney 

Secretary-Engineer,  Colorado  State  Highway  Commission 

In  discussing  Mr.  Coleman's  paper  on  convict  labor  on 
highways,  I  believe  that  the  general  proposition  as  to  the 
benefit  to  the  prisoners,  and  the  resulting  advantage  of  the 
state,  may  be  considered  as  being  decided  affirmatively,  par- 
ticularly so  at  least  in  the  State  of  Colorado,  and  that  the 
practical  workings  of  the  methods  adopted  in  Colorado  may 
be  of  interest  and  assistance  to  other  states  which  propose 
to  use  some  of  their  prisoners  on  state  or  county  highway 
work. 

The  working  of  convicts  on  the  highways  of  Colorado  was 
first  started  in  1899,  the  first  work  being  done  in  the  upper 
Arkansas  Valley,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Buena  Vista.  The 
work  was  done  under  a  bill  introduced  in  the  legislature  by 
Senator  T.  J.  Ehrhart.  In  this  year  considerable  work  was 
also  done  in  Fremont  County  by  the  convicts.  Later,  in 
1905,  a  bill  was  introduced  by  Senator  Lewis,  and  another 
in  1907  by  Senator  Barella,  the  latter  bill  providing  for  a  con- 
vict-built road  from  the  New  Mexico  state  line  at  the  south 
to  the  Wyoming  state  line  on  the  north.  The  Lewis  bill, 
adopted  in  1905,  is  the  one  under  which  our  convicts  are  now 
being  successfully  worked  on  the  roads.  This  bill  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

S.  B.  NO.  224  by  Senator  Lewis. 

AN  ACT 

PROVIDING  FOR  THE  WORKING  OF  THE  CONVICTS  IN 
THE  COLORADO  STATE  PENITENTIARY  UPON  THE 
PUBLIC  ROADS  AND  HIGHWAYS  WITHIN  ANY  COUNTY 
AND  UPON  THE  STREETS  AND  ALLEYS  WITHIN  THE 
CITIES  AND  INCORPORATED  TOWNS  LOCATED  IN  THE 
STATE  OF  COLORADO. 
BE  IT  ENACTED  BY  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  OF  THE 

STATE  OF  COLORADO: 

Section  1.  Upon  the  written  request  of  a  majority  of  the 
board  of  county  commissioners  of  any  county  in  the  State  of 
Colorado,  the  Warden  of  the  Colorado  State  Penitentiary,  situ- 
ated at  Canon  City,  in  Fremont  County,  shall  detail  such  con- 
victs as  in  his  judgment  shall  deem  proper,  not  exceeding1  the 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  307 

number  specified  in  said  written  request,  to  work  upon  such 
public  roads  and  highways  of  such  county  or  as  shall  be  desig- 
nated in  said  written  request  of  said  county  commissioners; 
Provided,  That  such  county  shall  pay  all  additional  expense., 
of  guarding  said  convicts  while  working  upon  said  public 
roads  and  highways  within  such  county,  and  shall  furnish  all 
tools  and  materials  necessary  in  the  performance  of  said  work; 
and,.  Provided,  That  when  said  work  is  done  within  the  limits 
of  any  city  or  incorporated  town  within  such  county,  or  city 
or  incorporated  town  where  said  work  shall  be  done  shall  like- 
wise pay  all  additional  expenses  of  guarding  such  convicts  while 
performing  said  work  and  shall  furnish  all  necessary  material 
used  in  said  work. 

Section  2.  Said  convicts  when  employed  under  the  provisions 
of  Section  1  of  this  act  shall  not  be  used  for  the  purpose  of 
building  any  bridge  or  structure  of  like  character  which  re- 
quires the  employment  of  skilled  labor. 

Section  3.  The  Board  of  Penitentiary  Commissioners  are 
hereby  empowered  to  adopt  a  special  rule  applicable  solely  to 
convicts  employed  on  the  public  work  herein  authorized  and 
contemplated,  whereby  convicts  so  employed  shall  be  granted 
additional  good  time  allowance;  conditioned  uuon  their  good 
behavior  and  cheerful  compliance  with  all  rules  that  may  be 
made  by  said  board  or  said  Superintendent  for  the  management 
and  control  of  convicts  so  employed. 

Section  4.  All  acts,  or  parts  of  acts,  in  conflict  herewith  are 
hereby  repealed. 

Section  5.  In  the  opinion  of  the  General  Assembly,  an  emer- 
gency exists;  therefore,  this  act  shall  take  effect  and  be  in 
force  from  and  after  its  passage. 

(Approved   April   11,    1905.) 

Work  was  started  on  the  state  road  from  Trinidad  toward 
the  New  Mexico  line,  and  completed  to  the  New  Mexico 
state  line  in  1907  by  Warden  Cleghorn,  using  convict 
labor.  The  famous  Sky  Line  Drive  at  Canon  City  was  also 
completed  in  this  and  the  succeeding  year  under  Warden 
Cleghorn's  administration,  and  the  commencement  of  the  sys- 
tem of  working  convicts  without  gun  guards,  and  solely  upon 
honor,  was  started  by  Mr.  Gleghorn.  Our  present  warden, 
T.  J.  Tynan,  took  charge  of  the  work  in  1909,  and  has  ex- 
tended and  developed  the  system  until  at  this  time  it  is 
one  of  the  very  successful  adjuncts  of  the  state  system  of 
road  work. 

The  selection  of  the  trusties  and  the  placing  of  the  men  at 
their  various  tasks  are  functions  which  very  properly  belong 
to  and  are  exercised  by  the  warden  of  the  penitentiary,  who  is 
directly  responsible  to  the  state  for  the  prisoners,  and  who 
is  in  touch  with  the  men,  and  thus  is  able  to  pick  out  the 
men  suited  for  the  different  classes  of  work.  It  will  be  no- 
ticed that  the  Lewis  bill  provides  for  the  expense  of  guards, 
but  the  guards  were  not  used  at  all,  after  the  first  two  years' 
experience. 

•The  convict  camps  are  made  up  of  all  nationalities  and 
races — many  Mexicans  and  negroes  being  amongst  them. 

The  desire  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities  offered 


308  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

by  the  work  upon  the  roads  is  shown  by  all  the  prisoners, 
and  the  great  majority  of  them  exhibit  a  very  keen  interest 
jn  the  work.  All  classes  of  crimes  have  been  represented 
by  the  convicts  worked  upon  the  roads.  It  has  not  been 
found  desirable  or  necessary  to  divide  the  convicts  into 
classes — segregated  according  to  the  character  of  their  crime, 
and  if  there  is  any  division  to  be  made  among  the  prisoners, 
it  should  be  based  upon  the  individual  characteristics  of  the 
prisoner  rather  than  upon  the  crime  for  which  he  has  been 
convicted. 

Warden  T.  J.  Tynan,  of  the  Colorado.  State  Penitentiary, 
in  a  recent  talk  before  the  Colorado  Road  Builders'  Associa- 
tion, outlined  his  ideas  and  methods  as  to  the  selection  of 
the  men  for  the  road  camps,  as  follows: 

The  Colorado  convict  road  system  consists  simply  in  taking 
a  number  of  trustworthy  men  out  on  the  highways,  starting 
the  camps,  and  building  the  roads  under  the  superintendence 
of  a  good,  hard-headed  road  overseer.  We  found  that  one  of 
the  hardest  things  to  do  was  to  obtain  men  properly  qualified 
to  handle  these  camps. 

In  the  penitentiary,  when  a  man  comes  to  us  with  a  sentence 
of  say  from  five  to  ten  years,  the  Warden  does  not  see  him  or 
talk  to  him  for  a  period  of  about  three  months,  after  which 
time,  on  any  Sunday,  the  prisoner  can  see  the  Warden  and  talk 
to  him  of  his  hopes,  ambitions  and  desires,  in  regard  to  his 
employment  while  imprisoned,  and  the  cutting  down  of  hip  sen- 
tence. We  give  him  a  chance  to  get  out  to  the  camps  and 
work.  In  this  way  a  man  with  a  five-year  sentence  will  re- 
ceive, while  in  the  penitentiary,  one  month's  time  for  good 
behavior  for  the  first  year;  two  months  the  second  year,  etc., 
and  in  addition  to  this,  for  outdoor  work  on  honor  and  trust, 
we  allow  him  ten  days  extra  time  each  month,  so  that  a  man 
on  road  work  is  able  to  cut  his  minimum  sentence  in  half.  If 
he  attempts  to  run  away,  and  is  recaptured,  he  has  to  serve 
his  full  maximum  sentence  of  ten  years,  and  gets  no  further 
chance  to  make  up  any  time. 

In  our  road  camps  we  have  75  men  and  work  them  with  the 
same  overhead  expense  as  35  men.  Increasing  the  number  of 
men  cuts  down  the  number  of  camps  and  thereby  cuts  down 
a  great  part  of  the  maintenance. 

The  percentage  of  men  attempting  to  escape  was  l1^  per 
cent,  at  first,  but  of  late  we  have  reduced  this  to  1  per  cent., 
so  the  loss  from  escapes  is  very  small. 

The  penitentiary  furnishes  the  clothing  of  the  men  from  its 
maintenance  fund;  the  counties  furnish  all  the  rest.  If  it  is 
necessary  to  return  a  man  to  the  prison,  the  penitentiary  pays 
for  the  transportation. 

The  state  does  not  pay  the  convicts  any  salary  or  per  diem 
for  their  labor,  but  they  receive  credits,  as  stated  by  the 
warden,  which  enable  the  prisoners  to  cut  their  minimum 
sentence  in  half.  Any  attempt  to  escape  or  violate  the  estab- 
lished rules  results  in  the  loss  of  all  credits,  and  instead  of 
cutting  his  minimum  sentence  in  half  he  has  to  serve  his  full 
maximum  sentence. 

There  are  no  armed  guards  used  in  any  of  these  camps,  the 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  309 

men  being  placed  entirely  upon  their  honor,  and  I  believe 
this  is  one  reason  for  the  very  satisfactory  results  obtained. 
If  you  use  armed  guards  to  restrain  the  prisoners  from  any 
attempt  to  escape,  then  you  should  not  exact  any  promises 
from  the  men;  but  if  you  do  accept  a  promise  from  them  to 
the  effect  that  they  will  not'  attempt  to  escape,  then  they 
should  be  trusted;  otherwise  the  moral  effect  of  their  promise 
is  absolutely  lost.  Under  the  present  system  the  attempts 
to  escape  have  not  been  over  one  per  cent,  and  when  ninety- 
nine  per  cent,  of  the  men  keep  their  word  it  stamps  the  sys- 
tem as  successful. 

Captain  E.  H.  Baldwin,  superintendent  of  one  of  our  con- 
vict road  camps,  has  stated: 

The  use  of  this  (convict)  labor  not  only  cheapens  the  con- 
struction in  the  state,  but  it  takes  the  men  out  into  God's  sun- 
shine, where  the  steady  employment  and  wholesome  life  of 
the  road  camps  is  accomplishing  wonders  in  arousinrr  energy 
and  ambition,  and  some  of  these  men  have  never  before  real- 
ized that  they  were  capable  of  doing  an  honest  day's  work. 

Prison  labor  has  some  disadvantages.  The  men  from  <all 
walks  of  life  are  thrown  together,  and  in  most  cases  they  have 
to  be  taught  the  use  of  the  road  builders'  tools,  but  as  the 
work  progresses  the  majority  of  them  learn  to  take  an  interest 
and  pride  in  their  work. 

Convict  labor  is  especially  adapted  to  rough,  side-hill  work, 
where  but  few  teams  are  required,  and  where  a  large  number 
of  men  can  be  used  to  advantage  after  the  grade  line  is  estab- 
lished and  the  work  opened  up. 

The  typical  organization  of  the  convict  road  camps  in 
Colorado  is  about  as  follows: 

The  camp  is  placed  in  charge  of  a  superintendent,  who  is 
assisted  by  one,  two  or  three  foremen,  as  the  size  of  the 
camp  may  require.  These  men  are  all  the  salaried  officials 
connected  with  the  camp.  There  may  be  anywhere  from 
25  to  75  prisoners  detailed  to  a  camp.  The  selection  of  the 
men  who  are  placed  in  charge  of  the  camp  is  in  the  hands 
of  the  penitentiary  officials.  The  salary  of  the  superintend- 
ent runs  from  $100  to  $125  per  month,  and  for  the  assistants, 
the  salary  runs  from  $60  to  $75  per  month.  In  addition  to 
salary,  board  is  furnished  in  camp.  In  all  the  camps  in  the 
state  the  equipment  is  paid  for  from  the  county  and  state 
road  fund.  This  equipment  consists  of  wall  tents  of  extra 
heavy  canvas,  with  flies,  and  in  the  winter  the  walls  of  the 
tents  are  boarded  and  papered,  and  heating  stoves  provided. 
The  men  sleep  in  separate  bunks  in  the  tents;  about  four  to 
eight  to  a  tent.  Then,  there  are  the  superintendent's  quar- 
ters, the  assistants'  quarters,  the  cook  and  dining  tent,  the 
commissary  tent,  and  the  necessary  tents  and  shelter  for 
the  stock.  The  men  are  well  provided  with  clothes  from 
the  penitentiary,  but  are  not  in  stripes,  being  clothed  about 
the  same  as  an  average  workman  would  be  clothed  around 


310  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

any  contractor's  camp.  The  sanitary  conditions  are  looked 
after  very  carefully,  especially  the  cleanliness  of  the  camps 
and  the  men.  Sanitary  precautions  and  close  inspection  of 
the  health  of  the  men  are  points  which  are  conducive  to 
good  work. 

The  stock  necessary  for  the  hauling  of  supplies  to  the 
camp,  or  for  work  upon  the  roads  is  also  paid  for  by  the 
county  and  State  road  fund.  An  outfit  for  a  camp  of  35  men, 
would  run  about  $2,500,  not  including  the  cost  of  the  stock. 

In  organizing  a  convict  road  camp,  it  is  important  that  the 
men  selected  as  superintendents  and  foremen  or  overseers 
should  be  properly  qualified  for  their  place,  as  these  are  most 
important  positions,  and  the  success  of  the  work  depends 
entirely  upon  their  successful  management  of  the  men  and 
the  work. 

The  prisoners'  transportation  is  paid  for  by  the  county  and 
State  road  fund,  except  where  a  man  is  returned  to  the  peni- 
tei\tiary  for  any  infraction  of  the  rules,  or  attempt  to  escape, 
in  which  case  the  penitentiary  stands  the  expense. 

In  the  camps,  one  of  the  prisoners  is  generally  detailed  to 
act  as  night  watchman. 

The  designation  of  the  road  to  be  built,  the  surveying  and 
engineering,  and  character  of  the  work  is  in  the  hands  of 
the  county  commissioners,  subject  to  the  supervision  and  ap- 
proval of  the  State  Highway  Commission. 

In  regard  to  the  actual  cost  and  maintenance  for  these 
camps,  I  submit  the  following  statement,  which  includes 
four  camps: 

No.  1 — Two  camps  for  the  season  of  1913  and  1914. 

No.  3 — One  camp  from  June,  1913,  to  October,  1914. 

No.  4 — One  camp  during  1913  and  1914 — total,  24  months. 

In  the  first  two  camps  during  1913  from  October,  1912, 
to  July  1,  1913,  or  ten  months,  the  total  cost  was  $6,284.74 
(equipment  not  included).  The  total  number  of  days  in  that 
period  of  time  was  308.  The  total  number  of  days  worked 
was  248.  The  average  cost  of  food  per  man  per  day  was 
31^2  cents;  the  average  cost  per  man  per  day  was  6\Vz  cents; 
this  includes  all  salaries,  repairs,  stock  feed,  etc.;  and  the 
average  cost  per  man  per  day  actually  worked  on  the  roads 
was  77  cents.  The  average  number  of  men  in  camp  for  this 
time  was  40,  about  8  of  these  being  used  about  the  camp. 
The  average  number  of  head  of  stock,  8;  average  cost  per 
mile  of  road  built,  $2,513.89,  they  having  completed  2V2  miles 
of  mountain  sidehill  work,  16  ft.  in  width. 

In  the  second  camp  for  the  season  of  1914,  or  from  August 
1,  1913,  to  September  1,  1914,  being  13  months,  inclusive,  the 
total  number  of  days  was  396.  The  total  number  of  days 
worked  was  296^.  The  average  number  of  men,  33;  the 
average' number  of  head  of  stock,  6;  the  average  cost  per  man 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  311 

per  day  for  food,  37.6  cents,  and  the  average  total  cost  per 
man  per  day  was  89.15  cents;  the  average  cost  per  mile, 
$3,163.60;  a  total  length  of  3.67  miles  having  been  finished 
during  the  season  at  a  total  cost  of  $11,613.96.  The  average 
cost  per  man  per  day  actually  worked  on  road,  $1.50.  This 
includes  a  drilling  outfit,  which  cost  $2,000. 

The  work  consisted   of  mountain  sidehill  and  some  very 
heavy  rock  for  about  \^A  miles,  the  balance  was  earth  and 
loose  rock,  moderately  heavy  timber  clearing,  and  the  road-' 
way  averaged  16  ft.  in  width. 

In  the  third  camp  the  work  started  June  10,  1913,  and  ex- 
tended to  October  1,  1914,  inclusive,  making  a  total  of  15 
months.  During  this  time  some  6*£  miles  has  been  com- 
pleted, at  a  total  cost  of  $29,164.38.  This  includes  about 
$1,800  for  a  portable  drilling  plant  and  gives  an  average  cost 
of  $4,487  per  mile.  Of  this  work  about  4  miles  is  in  heavy 
rock  work,  and  about  \l/2  miles  in  heavy  earth  and  gravel, 
and  1  mile  of  light  earth  work. 

In  the  next  camp  the  convicts  have  been  at  work  for^the 
past  four  seasons,  and  their  work  is  mostly  in  open  prairie 
country,  and  has  consisted  of  a  great  deal  of  work  with  blade 
graders  and  traction  engine  haul  for  the  graders,  and  also 
horse  haulage  for  the  dirt,  and  the  grading  and  scraping 
machines.  The  average  number  of  men  employed  has  been 
25,  the  average  number  of  horses  employed  has  been  16,  the 
total  miles  of  road  improved  has  been  94,  the  total  number  of 
bridges  and  culverts  built  by  the  convicts  was  60,  and  the 
total  miles  surfaced,  61.  The  average  cost  of  this  work  to 
the  county  for  the  past  four  seasons  has  been  approximately 
$1,150  per  mile,  including  bridges  and  culverts. 

In  estimating  the  comparative  value  of  the  convict  labor 
as  against  the  free  labor,  it  would  be  essential  to  have  the 
yardage  moved,  and  to  have  the  classification  of  material. 
As  in  the  case  where  the  counties  do  their  work  by  day  labor, 
the  engineer  does  not  always  cross-section  the  work,  simply 
placing  the  center  and  grade  stakes  for  the  use  of  the  super- 
intendent, and  an  occasional  cross-section  stake,  giving  the 
width  and  general  outline. 

This,  however,  is  not  sufficient  to  fully  calculate  the  yard- 
age of  any  of  these  pieces  of  work.  A  comparative  idea  may 
be  had  by  the  actual  cost  of  labor  per  day  per  man  actually 
at  work  on  the  road.  This  runs  from  77  cents  to  $1.50  per 
day,  and  having  this  figure  compare  the  relative  efficiency  of 
the  labor  as  between  the  prisoner  and  the  ordinary  road- 
laborer.  I  believe  this  work  of  the  prisoners  will  show  an 
average  saving  of  about  25  per  cent  for  the  conditions  under 
which  they  have  been  worked  in  this  state.  In  some  cases 
a  much  larger  saving  than  this  is  shown,  and  in  other  cases 
the  saving  is  smaller. 


312  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

In  addition  to  carefully  selecting  the  men  in  charge  of  the 
work,  it  occurs  to  me  it  would  be  wise  to  have  the  State 
Highway  Commission  authorized  to  take  entire  chr.rge  of  the 
direction  of  the  work,  especially  as  to  the  locality  to  be  im- 
proved, and  also  in  regard  to  the  character  of  the  work,  in 
order  that  the  improvements  may  be  along  some  connected 
system  of  roads,  rather  than  at  disconnected  points  all  over 
the  state,  and  also  in  order  that  the  work  may  be  uniform 
>and  along  standard  lines. 

During  the  years  1913-14  there  was  built  in  this  state  about 
140  miles  of  road  by  convict  labor  in  six  counties;  about 
40  miles  of  it  through  mountainous  rocky  country,  and  about 
100  miles  through  the  more  level  .plains  section.  This  work 
is  worth  to  the  state  probably  $210,000,  and  has  been  executed 
with  a  net  saving  of  probably  SO  per  cent,  to  the  counties  and 
the  state. 

In  conclusion,  I  can  say  that  the  experience  of  the  state  of 
Colorado  with  the  employment  of  convicts  on  the  roads 
under  the  honor  system  without  guards  of  any  kind,  has 
been  entirely  satisfactory. 

However,  it  would  seem  only  fair  and  just  to  the  prisoners 
that  they  should  receive  some  remuneration  for  their  labor, 
besides  the  reduction  in  their  sentences,  after  they  have 
proven  themselves  worthy  of  the  trust  reposed  in  them,  and 
while  we  do  not,  at  this  time,  pay  any  per  diem,  still  I  am 
convinced  that  after  a  man  has  served,  say  six  months  on 
the  roads  and  performs  satisfactory  service,  he  should  be 
given  a  certain  per  diem  of  say  25  cents.  This  sum  could 
be  held  in  reserve  for  him  until  the  expiration  of  his  sentence, 
or  could  be  handed  to  those  who  might  be  dependent  upon 
him.  This  would  enable  the  prisoner  to  have  a  little  money 
accumulated,  so  that  at  the  end  of  his  sentence  he  would  be 
able  to  live  honestly  while  seeking  employment,  and  get  a 
fresh  start  in  life. 


(The  following  paper  by  Mr.  F.  G.  Twitchell,  which  was 
presented  at  the  congress  at  a  later  date,  is  inserted  here 
for  the  purpose  of  assembling  the  discussion  on  this  subject.) 


Discussion  by  F.  G.  Twitchell 
Division  Engineer,  Office  State  Engineer,  Arizona 

As  the  predominating  interest,  from  the  average  stand- 
point, in  the  use  of  convict  labor  on  public  works,  lies  in  the 
efficiency  of  the  labor,  rather  than  in  what  is  generally 
termed  the  "uplift"  of  the  prisoner,  these  remarks  will  deal 
principally  with  the  cost  of  doing  work  under  the  "honor" 
system,  this  being  the  term  that  custom  has  applied  to  the 
plan  whereby  prisoners  are  placed  in  camps  without  guards, 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  313 

reliance  being  put  upon  their  word  that  they  will  not  run 
away,  and  that  they  will  conduct  themselves  properly. 

The  figures  presented  are  taken  from  the  records  of  the 
camp  known  as  Prison  Road  Camp  No.  1.  This  camp  was 
organized  in  December,  1913,  on  a  small  basis,  with  the  in- 
tention of  using  it  for  general  repair  work  and  minor  im- 
provements. When  first  put  in  the  field  it  was  made  up  of 
twenty-nine  men  and  eight  teams,  under  the  direction  of  one 
foreman.  Since  that  time  it  has  expanded  until  it  now  has  a 
force  of  fifty-five  men  and  twenty-four  teams,  under  the  di- 
rection of  three  foremen,  and  is  capable  of  handling,  and  has 
handled,  every  class  of  road  work. 

Acting  upon  the  principle  that  if  a  prisoner  is  worthy  of 
being  trusted  he  is  worthy  of  being  trusted  to  the  fullest 
extent,  the  ordinary  prison  rules  have  not  been  enforced  in 
this  camp.  The  endeavor  has  been  to  avoid  as  far  as  possi- 
ble anything  that  would  keep  the  man  constantly  conscious 
that  he  was  a  prisoner.  Responsibility  for  his  actions  has 
been  placed  upon  himself.  I  might  say  that  he  has  been 
shown  his  feet,  and  told  to  stand  upon  them. 

Carrying  out  this  idea,  the  men  are  dressed  in  civilian 
clothes,  and  with  two  exceptions  are  not  restricted  any  more 
than  in  a  free  labor  camp.  The  first  of  these  two  exceptions 
is  that  there  is  a  set  hour  for  going  to  bed,  and  the  second 
is  that  the  men  are  not  allowed  to  leave  camp  without  per- 
mission, and  then  only  to  the  extent  of  a  one  mile  free  range. 
Under  no  circumstances  are  they  allowed  to  go  to  town. 
One  guard,  who  acts  as  night  watchman  for  the  camp,  is 
employed,  whose  principal  duty,  outside  of  this,  is  to  look 
after  the  clothing  and  equipment  of  the  men. 

The  food  furnished  is  on  a  par  with  that  furnished  in  the 
best  free  labor  camps,  and  better  than  that  furnished  in 
many.  We  have  been  criticized  a  great  deal  on  this  point, 
though  I  believe  this  criticism  has  been  without  proper  re- 
flection. The  average  idea  is  that  any  kind  of  food  is  good 
enough  for  a  prisoner,  but  that  idea  is  based  upon  altogether 
wrong  premises.  It  is  not  a  prisoner  that  is  being  fed,  but 
a  workman,  and  this  is  a  fact  that  must  never  be  lost  sight 
of.  It  is  probably  not  necessary  for  me  to  remind  you  that 
a  man  poorly  fed  is  a  man  who  is  discontented  both  in  mind 
and  body,  and  whose  work  will  reflect  his  state  of  being. 

For  sleeping  quarters  tents  are  furnished,  which  are  heated 
in  the  winter  time.  Each  man  is  furnished  with  a  cot,  mat- 
tress, sheets  and  blankets.  We  have  been  accused  of  pam- 
pering the  men  by  supplying  sheets,  but  you  can  readily  see 
that  this  is  a  necessary  procedure  in  the  interests  of  cleanli- 
ness. For  this  same  reason  one  man  is  detailed  as  a  laun- 
dryman,  who  takes  care  of  all  the  clothing.  An  effort  to 
have  each  man  wash  his  own  clothes  did  not  prove  success- 
ful. 


314  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

Taking  up  the  matter  of  cost,  which  is  of  course  of  the 
first  importance,  there  is  one  point  to  which  I  wish  to  call 
your  particular  attention.  The  aggregate  cost  of  road  work 
is  made  up  of  many  items,  the  most  important  of  which  are 
cost  of  <  labor,  cost  of  teams,  cost  of  material  and  cost  of 
superintendence.  The  cost  of  teams,  material,  and  superin- 
tendence is  as  great  in  a  prison  labor  camp  as  it  is  in  a  free 
labor  camp,  leaving  the  cost  of  labor  as  the  only  item  on 
which  we  can  effect  a  saving.  At  first  glance  this  might  be 
supposed  to  be  very  large,  but  when  compared  with  the  total 
cost  of  a  piece  of  work  it  does  not  show  up  to  as  great  an 
extent  as  anticipated.  To  demonstrate,  I  will  say  that  this 
camp  under  discussion,  during  the  period  from  December  15, 
1913,  to  January  25,  1915,  spent  nearly  $30,000  on  the  Globe- 
Roosevelt  highway,  and  of  this  amount,  $10,477,  or  about 
one-third,  was  the  cost  of  maintaining  the  prisoners.  Of  the 
balance,  the  maintenance  of  the  teams  took  nearly  $6,000,  paid 
labor  took  $3,000,  the  material  bill  for  culverts,  cement,  pow- 
der and  similar  items  was  over  $6,000,  and  maintenance  and 
depreciation  on  the  equipment  was  about  $3,000.  You  can 
see  from  this  that  it  would  not  be  fair  to  expect  convict 
labor  to  show  any  startling  saving  over  free  labor  in  the 
total  cost  of  the  work. 

It  has  been  with  regret  that  I  have  heard  some  advocates 
of  convict  labor  say  that  they  believed  in  it  for  the  reason 
that  the  State  had  to  maintain  the  prisoners  anyway,  and 
some  benefit  should  be  derived  from  the  expenditure  of 
money  that  had  to  be  made,  whether  the  men  were  out  on 
the  road  or  inside  the  prison  walls.  I  say  with  regret,  be- 
cause I  have  had  to  undeceive  them,  and  let  them  know  that 
the  cost  of  keeping  a  prisoner  in  prison  has  no  relation  to 
the  cost  of  keeping  a  prisoner  in  a  road  camp.  Laying  aside 
the  fact  that  a  prison  is  a  large  plant  in  a  fixed  location,  with 
easy  access  to  supplies,  and  that  large  operations  allow  low. 
unit  costs;  and  the  road  camp  is  a  small  plant,  constantly 
on  the  move,  with  heavy  transportation  expenses,  both  for 
men  and  material,  the  outstanding  reason  that  it  costs  a 
great  deal  more  to  keep  a  man  on  the  road  is  that  this  man 
on  the  road  is  doing  rough,  hard,  manual  labor.  He  needs 
a  lot  to  eat,  and  he  wears  out  a  lot  of  clothing. 

On  the  Globe-Roosevelt  highway  last  year  it  cost  us 
78  7/10  cents  per  day  to  keep  a  man,  this  covering  food, 
clothing,  medicine  and  tobacco.  This  cost  per  day  was  for 
every  prisoner  in  camp,  including  the  camp  force,  of  cooks, 
flunkies,  etc.,  who  are  generally  known  as  "non-producers," 
and  for  every  day  in  the  year,  including  Sundays  and  bad 
weather  days  when  no  work  was  going  on.  The  cost  per  man 
working  day,  by  which  I  mean  the  cost  of  putting  the  prison- 
er on  the  job,  for  every  day  he  actually  worked,  was  $1.29.  I 
wish  to  remind  you  that  this  working  day  cost  had  to  in- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  315 

elude  the  cost  of  the  camp  force  on  working  days,  and  the 
cost  of  maintaining  the  whole  camp  on  Sundays,  on  days 
when  the  weather  would  not  permit  of  work,  and  on  days 
when  the  camp  was  moving.  I  might  mention  here  that 
during  the  period  of  thirteen  months  referred  to  the  total 
number  of  days  lost  from  these  causes  was  ninety-seven; 
over  25  per  cent 

With  this  information,  and  taking  into  consideration  the 
facts  that  the  work  was  largely  repair  work,  and  reconstruc- 
tion; that  it  was  scattered  over  some  thirty  miles  of  road; 
that  the  average  water  haul  was  three  miles;  and  the  average 
supply  haul  was  twenty-one  miles,  we  will  take  up  the  most 
important  matter  of  all,  that  of  unit  costs. 

Clearing  and  Grubbing.  Largely  mesquite  and  chapparal; 
the  average  cost  for  some  57  acres  was  $9.18  per  acre. 

Solid  Rock  Excavation.  Total  quantity  moved,  4,392  cubic 
yards.  Where  this  work  was  so  located  that  full  benefit 
could  be  derived  from  the  necessary  drilling  and  shooting, 
the  cost  ran  from  65  cents  to  85  cents  per  yard.  When  it 
consisted  largely  of  shooting  off  projecting  points,  and  widen- 
ing the  road  at  narrow  places,  the  cost  was  from  $1.25  to 
$2.50  per  yard.  The  average  cost  for  the  total  quantity 
moved  was  $1.27  4/10  per  yard. 

Loose  Rock  and  Boulders.  Total  quantity,  9,300  yards, 
ranging  in  cost  from  26  cents  to  81  cents,  this  latter  being 
material  that  had  to  be  shot,  although  it  could  not  properly 
be  classified  as  solid  rock.  Average  cost  663/10  cents  per 
yard. 

Earth  Borrow  and  Excavation.  Total  quantity  20,428 
yards,  ranging  in  cost  from  14  cents  to  45  cents  per  yard. 
Most  of  this  work  was  on  steep  hillsides.  Average  cost 
252/10  cents  per  yard. 

Foundation  Excavation.  Total  quantity  688  cubic  yards. 
Average  cost  56  1/10  cents. 

Dry  Walls.  Total  quantity  126  cubic  yards.  Cost  $1.18J4 
per  cubic  yard. 

Rubble  Masonry.  Total  quantity  612  cubic  yards.  Aver- 
age cost  $3.82  per  cubic  yard. 

Concrete.  Total  quantity  116  cubic  yards.  Average  cost 
$13.16  per  cubic  yard.  This  high  cost  is  principally  due  to  the 
small  quantity  placed,  which  did  not  permit  the  men  to  ob- 
tain experience  and  skill  in  form  building  and  concrete  mix- 
ing. 

Ditching.  Total  quantity  5,209  yards.  Average  cost 
35  3/10  cents  per  yard. 

I  wish  to  also  submit  the  costs  of  the  work  done  so  far 
by  this  camp  on  the  Tucson-Florence  highway  in  Pima 
county.  This  work  is  new  construction,  and  in  consequence 
of  not  being  scattered,  is  being  performed  cheaper.  The  , 


316  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

water  haul  has  been  three  miles,  and  the  supply  haul  nine 
miles,  and  we  have  been  able  to  reduce  the  cost  of  a  prisoner 
working  day  to  $1.144/10. 

The  unit  costs  on  this  work  have  been  as  follows: 

Cleaiing  and  Grubbing per  acre     $15.82 

Earth    Excavation    and    Borrow per  cu.  yd.       .182 

Solid  Rock  Excavation .844 

Ditching    .175 

Concrete '.         "  9.88 

When  comparing  these  unit  costs  with  contract  prices  for 
similar  work,  it  should  be  remembered  that  a  contractor  has ' 
three   sources   of  profit  that  are   denied  us.     These  are  the 
boarding  house,  commissary  and  medical  service. 

In  concluding  I  wish  to  make  a  few  remarks  about  the 
effect  of  road  work  on  the  prisoners,  not  to  make  any  plea  for 
sympathy  for  them,  for  their  punishment  is  not  unjust,  but  to 
present  a  strictly  utilitarian  fact.  The  prisoner  who  has 
been  doing  hard  manual  labor,  and  it  is  hard  manual  labor, 
for  a  period  of  months,  living  an  outdoor  life,  with  good 
food,  and  enforced  good  habits,  when  released  is  a  strong, 
healthy  man,  and  is  much  more  likely  to  try  to  keep  straight 
and  earn  a  living  than  a  man  who  has  been  made  soft  and 
weak,  and  had  the  heart  taken  out  of  him  by  long  confinement 
behind  the  prison  walls. 


CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Now,  are  there  any  ques- 
tions you  would  like  to  ask? 

MR.  WILLIAMS:  There  are  one  or  two  thoughts  in 
connection  with  Mr.  Coleman's  paper  that  I  would  like  to 
emphasize  briefly,  and  one  or  two  thoughts  in  connection 
with  Mr.  'Maloney's  discussion:  the  first,  beginning  at  the 
discussion  and  going  backwards  over  the  paper.  I  came 
through  Colorado  some  days  ago  and  had  a  chance  to 
observe  the  location  of  the  Colorado  camps  and  the  placing 
of  their  men.  The  conditions  that  apply  in  Colorado  as  to 
the  location  of  the  camps  is  absolutely  different  from  the 
conditions  that  apply  in  the  East.  Where  the  Colorado  camp 
was  located  as  I  observed  it  would  be  impossible  for  a  man 
to  escape  if  he  saw  cause  to.  In  West  Virginia  the  country 
all  being  timbered  it  is  possible  for  a  man  if  he  is  six  feet 
from  the  road  to  be  out  of  sight  of  the  guards  and  never 
be  seen  any  more.  We  have  had  that  occur  some  times 
with  some  of  our  men. 

Here  is  one  thing  that  we  have  learned;  that  we  cannot 
work  our  ten  and  thirty-day  jail  prisoners  with  long-term 
prisoners  successfully.  The  reason  is  the  men  become  ac- 
quainted with  the  men  that  are  there  for  a  greater  length  of 
time  and  when  they  get  out  they  act  often  as  an  associate 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  317 

or  a  pal  to  assist  them  in  finding  ways  to  get  away.  For 
that  reason  we  have  in  our  state  prison  camps  selected 
men  that  have  longer  terms;  men  who  have  been  sentenced 
five,  ten,  fifteen  and  even  life-time  prisoners,  and  those  men 
are  placed  out  after  they  have  served  three  or  four  years 
in  prison.  They  make  the  best  honor  men  because  they 
by  that  time  have  received  the  drill  and  the  discipline  of 
the  prison  life.  On  the  other  hand,  they  have  gone  far 
enough  in  the  earnings  of  their  good  time  that  they  do  not 
care  to  sacrifice.  For  that  reason  we  have  reduced  our 
attempts  to  escape  to  a  very  low  per  cent. 

Another  problem  that  has  given  us  some  trouble  is  the 
preparation  of  food.  The  sanitary  preparation  of  the  food 
and  the  proper  cooking  of  it  and  serving  of  it  in  camp  has 
much  to  do  with  the  comfort  and  satisfaction  of  the  men 
and  their  contentment.  If  you  feed  your  men  right  in  the 
camp  it  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  extending  the  latitude 
of  the  honor  you  can  confer  on  them.  I  agree  very  much 
with  Mr.  Coleman  that  the  prisoners  should  be  paid,  but, 
gentlemen,  I  doubt  very  much,  judging  from  my  own  ex- 
perience in  West  Virginia,  as  to  the  revulsion  of  feeling 
that  you  find  in  some  sections  from  the  labor  organizations, 
whether  or  not  it  would  even  be  possible  and  practicable 
to  make  it  so  that  the  counties  would  pay  for  the  prison 
labor  to  any  extent.  I  think  your  pay  must  come  in  the 
form  of  concessions  in  the  way  of  giving  off  time;  and  pro- 
viding that  certain  payments  might  be  made  and  can  be 
made  and  should  be  made  for  the  benefit  of  the  family  of 
the  prisoner  while  he  is  serving  the  state;  and  that  to  come 
from  the  state  instead  of  from  the  county.  (Applause.) 

MR.  EDDY:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  represent  California  and  I 
am  from  the  exposition,  the  bureau  of  congresses,  but  I 
do  not  wish  to  involve  either  California  or  the  exposition 
01  the  bureau  of  congresses  in  what  I  have  to  say.  It  is 
simply  a  private  opinion.  I  wish  to  be  recorded  as  opposed 
to  all  convict  labor.  Convict  labor  is  slave  labor.  I  would 
rule  out  all  reference  to  the  ancient  roads  of  Carthage  and 
Rome  for  the  simple  reason  that  they  are  paved  with  human 
blood  and  flesh  by  the  men  who  made  the  roads  and  couldn't 
use  them.  In  this  day  we  have  free  men  that  can  build  the 
roads.  I  have  said  before  in  this  congress  that  the  building 
of  good  roads  is  a  good  investment  and  it  should  be  paid 
for.  I  don't  believe  in  the  use  of  convict  labor,  although 
our  state  of  California  has  adopted  the  principle. 

Now,  there  are  three  public  utilities  in  the  United  States, 
the  post-office,  the  public  schools,  the  roadways  or  .highways. 
They  are  all  public  utilities.  There  is  just  as  much  reason 
for  hiring  a  competent  teacher  from  the  prison  and  putting 
him  in  a  school  in  the  United  States  as  there  is  in  building 
roads  with  prison  labor.  There  is  just  as  much  reason  in 


318  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

making  the  prisoners  or  convicts  mail  carriers  as  there  is 
in  putting  them  on  the  roads.  I  am  opposed  to  the  whole 
principle  and  I  don't  believe  that  we  can  get  the  aid  that 
we  expect  in  the  different  states  of  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment as  long  as  this  principle  is  employed. 

MR.  GASH:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  somewhat  in  favor  of 
the  convict  labor  system,  and  we  have  had  it  in  force  in 
Illinois  for  the  last  two  years  upon  the  merit  or  trusty  basis. 
I  realize  that  much  of  what  the  last  speaker  said  is  true,  that 
it  is  slave  labor.  It  is  enforced  slave  labor  because  of  the 
individuals  having  done  something  against  the  rules  and 
laws  of  society.  Now,  the  thing  that  makes  me  in  favor 
cf  this  convict  labor  is  that  it  is  better  for  each  individual 
on  earth  to  be  employed  in  some  useful  avocation,  no  matter 
what  his  condition  in  life.  (Applause.)  We  employ  them 
in  manufacturing  products  within  the  prison  walls.  The 
thing  that  makes  me  in  favor  of  going  a  little  farther  than 
that,  and  employing  them  under  the  sunlight  of  heaven  is, 
that  it  will  rehabilitate  them  in  my  opinion  in  society.  Use 
those  that  can  be  trusted.  All  of  them  will  not  stay  that 
are  selected,  but  have  your  men  carefully  selected. 

The  trouble  has  been  with  convicts  of  the  past  that  if  an 
individual  man  or  woman  happened  to  step  aside  from  the 
paths  of  rectitude  and  committed  a  crime  and  was  convicted, 
however  slight  the  crime  might  have  been,  if  he  went  behind 
the  jail  or  the  penitentiary  walls,  that  when  he  came  out  his 
fellows  would  not  trust  him.  He  could  not  get  any  kind 
of  useful  occupation  to  make  a  living  at  because  of  that 
distrust.  I  am  in  favor  of  selecting  these  men  carefully, 
and  we  have  done  it  in  Illinois  in  the  last  two  years,  and 
very  few  of  them  have  attempted  to  go  away.  They  are 
put  out  not  with  salary  to  the  men  except  they  work  over- 
time, and  then  they  get  so  much  an  hour  for  overtime.  That 
goes  to  them  individually.  The  communities  that  want  them 
call  for  them, — the  road  officials  of  the  township.  They  are 
not  worked  under  the  state  aid  system.  The  state  highway 
commission,  of  which  I  am  a  part,  cannot  call  for  these 
laborers.  We  let  all  our  work  by  contract,  but  the  convicts 
are  selected  and  sent  out  because  it  is  believed  by  the  warden 
that  they  can  be  trusted.  By  the  way,  the  law  provides  that 
their  sentence  shall  cease  within  five  years, — those  that  are 
to  be  trusted, — but  I  have  had  the  warden  tell  me  that  men 
who  were  in  there  for  perhaps  an  inadvertent  crime  for  life, 
that  he  believed  that  he  could  select  some  of  those  men  and 
send  them  to  China  and  that  they  would  be  back  on  the 
day  that  they  were  to  return.  Now,  these  men  are  selected 
and  put  out  upon  these  roads,  and  the  camps  have  been  es- 
tablished in  various  places  where  the  people  have  called  for 
them,  and,  as  I  have  said,  very  few  of  them  have  left.  Men 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  319 

have  come  down  there  from  the  factories  to  those  camps 
from  Chicago  and  said,  "If  these  men  make  good,  certify 
them  to  us  at  the  end  of  their  sentence  and  we  will  give 
them  some  useful  employment." 

By  the  way,  the  governor  gives  one  day  off  for  each  three 
days  of  faithful  service.  Thereby  the  man  that  goes  out  and 
makes  good  rehabilitates  himself  and  he  is  certified  to  that 
employment  or  work  in  the  open  day,  and  he  goes  out  into 
society  with  a  position  where  he  can  earn  an  honest  living 
and  he  is  not  pointed  to  and  scorned  at  because  he  once 
happened  to  step  aside  from  the  paths  of  rectitude.  That 
alone  rehabilitates  the  convict  and  works  for  the  betterment 
of  society,  as  I  believe.  This  is  what  makes  me  in  favor 
cf  the  system.  They  are  not  in  conflict  with  the  free  laborer 
because  we  put  them  out  at  fifty  cents  a  day.  That  is  paid 
for  their  keep.  It  always  goes  to  the  keeping  up  of  the 
camp.  The  state  don't  make  anything  by  it,  but  the  state 
profits  because  it  rehabilitates  every  man  in  his  own  man- 
hood that  will  go  out  there  and  make  good.  (Applause.) 

MR.  KEN  YON:  I  have  just  one  thought  in  reply  to 
the  suggestion  that  was  made  by  the  gentleman  who  is 
opposed.  He  said  that  that  was  slave  labor  and  compared 
it  with  the  ancient  times  when  they  went  out  with  their 
armies  and  captured  men  who  had  done  nothing  wrong  and 
made  slaves  of  them,  put  them  on  the  road,  and  so  on. 
But  is  this  slave  labor?  These  prisoners  have  offended  the 
community.  They  have  done  a  wrong  and  a  damage  to  the 
community.  Is  it  not  right  that  in  return  they  should 
do  something  for  the  good  of  the  community  to  pay  for 
the  damage  that  they  have  done  to  the  community?  I 
know  that  the  idea  that  the  gentleman  has  expressed  has 
done  a  good  deal  in  the  way  of  stopping  the  use  of  prisoners. 
I  know  in  my  own  state  the  state  board  of  charities  are 
opposed  to  the  use  of  convicts  on  the  road.  I  never  knew 
exactly  why.  They  put  them  on  the  farm,  the  penal  farm; 
they  "advocate  that,  and  have  them  work  there  and  sell  the 
commodities  that  they  raise.  What  is  the  difference?  It 
is  a  question  for  the  benefit  of  the  community  in  either  event. 
There  they  come  in  contact  with  free  labor  and  the  labor 
unions  as  a  rule  are  not  opposed  to  it.  I  have  been  wonder- 
ing what  the  opinion  of  the  penologists  and  those  who  have 
studied  this  question  carefully  and  thoroughly  is  on  the  sub- 
ject. 

MR.  TERRACE:  This  convict  question  is  an  important 
question.  It  has  been  before  the  minds  of  the  different  states 
of  this  Union  for  a  long  time.  The  great  trouble  has  been 
with  the  American  people.  They  have  not  had  the  courage 
to  tackle  it  as  it  ought  to  have  been  tackled.  They  are  will- 
ing to  push  the  convict  labor  onto  the  farmers  because  they 


320  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

think  that  they  are  unorganized.  If  the  farmer  would  or- 
ganize himself  and  come  out  on  a  strike  for  one  month  whai 
would  the  people  of  this  great  country  do?  They  have 
borne  the  brunt  of  everything  that  has  come  along.  I  will 
take  my  stand.  I  will  show  you  the  inconsistency  of  this 
question. 

In  our  penitentiary  they  make  grain  sacks.  Those  grain 
s^cks  are  sold  to  the  eastern  Washington  farmers  that  raise 
wheat.  The  farmers  in  that  section  of  the  country  think  it  is 
a  fine  thing  and  they  are  opposed  to  allowing  the  convicts 
to  go  and  work  on  the  public  highways.  Has  the  eastern 
farmer  any  more  right  to  get  the  benefit  of  those  convicts 
making  sacks  than  I  and  other  dairymen  have  for  them  to 
make  our  milk  or  the  fruit  growers  for  them  to  make  fruit 
boxes  for  the  fruits?  We  pay  our  share  of  the  taxes  to 
maintain  those  convicts  in  the  penitentiary,  and  I  mean  to 
say  that  the  whole  public  should  be  benefited  by  the  em- 
ployment of  those  convicts  if  they  can  be  put  to  any  use. 

Now,  then,  what  use  can  we  put  them  to?  We  can  put 
them  making  our  public  highways  in  our  mountainous  coun- 
tries, to  do  their  fair  share  of  the  work  on  these  public 
roads.  As  you  know,  every  man,  woman  and  child  uses 
these  roads  every  day  in  their  lives,  so  that  we  are  all  in- 
terested in  them. 

I  was  sent  by  my  grange  down  on  the  Columbia  river 
into  a  convict  camp  to  find  out  the  treatment  that  these  men 
were  getting  at  the  hands  of  our  state  highway  commis- 
sioner. I  went  in  when  the  men  were  eating  and  I  ordered 
the  guards  outside  of  the  door  and  I  was  left  alone  in  there 
with  one  hundred  prisoners.  "Now,"  I  said,  "men,  do  not 
be  afraid  to  speak  up  voluntarily,  as  there  is  nobody  here 
to  intimidate  you.  I  have  been  sent  down  here  by  the 
grange  to  find  out  how  they  are  treating  you."  Every  man 
got  up  in  his  turn  around  the  table,  and  he  said:  "We  are 
well  fed.  We  have  the  sunshine  on  us  every  day.  We  can 
see  the  boats  go  up  and  down  the  Columbia  river,  and  each 
day  counts  two,  and  it  is  better  for  us.  We  have  learned  to 
work,  which  we  never  knew  before,  some  of  us,  before  we 
came  into  this  institution.  We  are  now  ready  to  go  out  in  the 
world  and  take  our  place  side  by  side  with  free  men  and  make 
the  battle  of  life,  which  it  is  every  man's  duty  to  do."  "Now," 
I  said,  "I  am  glad  to  hear  that.  I  will  go  back  with  that 
message  to  the  farmers  of  my  country  and  tell  them  just 
what  you  have  said."  I  say  it  is  better  for  them,  better 
for  the  community  and  better  for  everybody.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  I  have  just  been  advised 
that  the  Committee  on  Resolutions,  the  chairman  of  which 
is  Mr.  Tillson,  is  now  ready  to  report,  and  we  will  be  glad 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  321 

to    hear    them,    and    then    we    will    take    up    the    discussion 
again. 

MR.  TILLSON:  Mr.  Chairman,  before  presenting  the 
report  I  would  like  to  present  a  telegram  from  the  mayor 
of  Boston  and  a  letter  from  the  president  of  the  conven- 
tion bureau  of  the  Boston  Chamber  of  Commerce  inviting 
this  convention  to  meet  next  year  at  Boston.  They  were 
sent  to  me  as  president  of  the  American  Road  Builders'  As- 
sociation and  I  just  put  them  in  for  the  record  and  future 
action. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  They  will  be  placed  on 
file. 


Boston,   Mass.,    September  7,    1915. 
Mr.  George  W.  Tillson,  Pres., 

American   Road  Builders'  Ass'n, 

Oakland,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

The  Boston  Chamber  of  Commerce,  through  its  Conven- 
tion Bureau,  extends  to  the  American  Road  Builders'  Asso- 
ciation a  cordial  and  hearty  invitation  to  select  Boston  for 
its  1916  meeting  place. 

This  invitation  is  supported  by  Mayor  Curley,  of  this  city, 
and  we  ask  you  to  present  it  to  your  members  at  the  con- 
vention to  be  held  in  Oakland  next  week.  We  hope  very 
much  that  it  will  be  acted  upon  favorably  and  we  can  assure 
you  that  the  citizens  of  this  city  will  be  extremely  pleased 
if  your  convention  selects  Boston  for  its  1916  meeting  place. 

Just  a  word  as  to  the  attractions  and  advantages  of  Bos- 
ton as  a  convention  city.  Taking  into  consideration  com- 
merce, industry,  financial  activity,  history,  art,  literature,  edu- 
cation, music,  recreation  and  vacation  advantages,  we  have 
here  one  of  the  most  significant  cities  in  the  world,  and 
the  most  genuinely  interesting  in  the  United  States.  It  has, 
as  everyone  knows,  scores  of  places  about  which  the  his- 
tory of  the  country  centers,  scenes  famous  for  their  literary 
traditions,  institutions  that  rank  first  in  the  educational,  ar- 
tistic and  musical  life  of  today.  The  fine  beaches  and  sea- 
side resorts  nearby,  the  magnificent  automobile  trips  through 
the  finest  park  system  in  the  country,  the  famous  North 
Shore  and  the  White  Mountains  within  striking  distance 
add  still  more  to  the  abundance  of  attractions  which  the 
stranger  meets  on  his  arrival  here. 

Boston  offers  you  every  facility  and  convenience  as  a 
meeting  place.  By  coming  here  you  will  be  assured  of  a 
maximum  attendance  and  here  you  will  receive  exceptional 
publicity.  Our  daily  newspapers  and  the  trade  journals  will 
give  your  aims  and  purposes,  as  well  as  the  results  of  your 
sessions,  the  space  and  attention  that  they  deserve,  and  you 


322  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

may  rely  upon  our  cooperation  in  every  possible  way  to 
secure  the  success  of  your  meeting  and  the  comfort  and  en- 
joyment of  your  delegates. 

Wishing  you  a  most  successful,  convention  this  year  and 
anticipating  the  pleasure  of  having  you  here  in  1916,  I  remain, 
Yours  very  truly, 
(Signed)  JAMES  C.  McCORMICK, 

President. 

Boston,  Mass.,  September  13,  1915. 

Geo.  W.  Tillson,  president  American  Road  Builders'  As- 
sociation, Oakland.  Boston  sends  greetings  to  American 
Road  Builders'  Association  in  convention  at  Oakland  this 
week,  and  cordially  invites  members  to  select  Boston  for 
1916  meeting  place. 

(Signed)  JAMES  M.  CURLEY,  Mayor. 

MR.  TILLSON:  The  committee  on  resolutions  met  in 
session  this  morning  and  unanimously  adopted  the  following 
resolutions  and  instructed  me  to  report  them  to  this  meet- 
ing with  the  recommendation  that  they  be  adopted: 

Resolutions 

"No.  1.  Resolved,  that  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress 
expresses  its  regrets  that  circumstances  have  prevented 
Governor  Charles  W.  Gates,  chairman  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee, from  presiding  at  this  congress;  and  it  hereby  ex- 
tends to  him  its  heart-felt  sympathy  in  his  time  of  affliction; 
and  that  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be  transmitted  to  Gov- 
ernor Gates." 

I  move   its  adoption. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  You  have  heard  the  re- 
port of  the  committee  relative  to  the  resolution  of  con- 
dolence for  Governor  Charles  W.  Gates.  What  is  your 
pleasure? 

MR.  WILLIAMS:     I  second  the  motion  to  adopt. 

Upon  the  motion  being  put  by  the  chairman  it  was  de- 
clared carried. 

MR.  TILLSON:  "No.  2.  Resolved,  that  the  Pan-Amer- 
ican Road  Congress  recommend  to  the  congress  of  the 
United  States  the  advisability  of  investigating  the  neces- 
sity of  building  a  hard  surfaced  Highway  along  the  Pacific 
Ocean  side  from  Mexico  to  British  Columbia  to  be  used 
as  a  military  and  commercial  highway." 

I  also  move  that  that  be  adopted. 

CAPTAIN  COGGESHALL:     I  second  the  motion. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Gentlemen,  you  have 
heard  the  motion  by  the  chairman  of  the  committee  on  reso- 
lutions, which  motion  has  been  seconded.  Are  there  any  re- 
marks? 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  32a 

MR.  GASH:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  opposed  to  the  resolu- 
tion, not  because  I  am  opposed  to  the  Pacific  coast,  for  I 
am  not.  I  have  traveled  from  Vancouver  to  Oakland,  and' 
yesterday  over  to  San  Francisco.  This  is  my  first  trip  to- 
the  Pacific  coast.  I  am  going  to  travel  to  the  south  border 
of  the  United  States  before  I  go  back  to  the  East.  I 
have  been  many  times  as  far  west  as  Utah,  and  I  have  met 
gentlemen  of  the  highest  order  from  the  Pacific  coast,  oh, 
.so  many  that  it  would  take  me  weeks  to  tell  you  the  good 
things  that  I  have  read  and  heard  of  the  Pacific  coast,  and 
that  I  have  in  my  heart  and  mind,  and  I  believe  them  all; 
but  Mr.  Chairman,  the  United  States  of  America  has  built 
the  greatest  highway  that  was  ever  constructed  by  man, 
the  Panama  canal,  for  the  benefit  of  all  the  people  of  the 
United  States;  to  make  the  fleets  of  the  Pacific  coast,  each 
vessel  thereof,  whether  submarine,  battleship  or  cruiser  ac- 
cessible at  all  times  of  danger  to  the  Pacific  coast  as  well 
as  to  the  Eastern  coast.  It  has  expended  in  this  beautiful 
country  of  ours  millions  of  dollars  upon  our  coast  defenses 
and  upon  the  rivers  and  harbors,  the  most  of  which  are 
along  the  edges  of  our  common  country. 

This  resolution  goes  to  the  internal  improvements  of  the 
highways,  which  reach  every  home  in  the  land.  We  do 
not  envy  all  that  has  gone  to  the  border,  or  to  the  western 
sea  coast,  or  to  this  great  highway  that  is  for  the  benefit 
of  us  all,  that  we  are  here  celebrating  at  this  Panama-  » 
Pacific  International  Exposition.  We  say  that  we  want 
such  improvements,  and  we  want  those  appropriations  for 
the  benefit  of  splendid  harbors,  such  as  this  at  the  Golden 
Gate,  at  Boston,  at  New  York,  at  Charleston,  at  New  Or- 
leans, and  various  places  around  the  border.  But  when  you 
come  to  ask  Uncle  Samuel  to  get  into  the  question  of  road 
building  that  comes  home  to  every  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  I  say  here  today  that  I  am  opposed.  Because  I  be- 
lieve in  the  principles  enunciated  in  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence. It  says,  "We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self- 
evident,  that  all  men  are  created  equal;  that  they  are  en- 
dowed by  our  Creator  with  certain  inalienable  rights,  that 
among  these  are  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness, 
and  to  secure  these  rights  governments  are  instituted  among 
men  deriving  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the 
governed." 

I  am  in  favor  of  the  government  of  the  United  States 
getting  into  this  question  of  internal  improvements,  assist- 
ing in  the  road  construction  of  the  United  States,  because 
he  uses  them  to  carry  the  mail  more  than  any  other  one 
cf  us  individuals,  but  when  he  comes  into  that  internal 
improvement  I  don't  want  him  to  select  any  highway  in 
any  state  or  combination  of  states;  but  I  want  him  to  leave 
it  to  the  state  highway  commissioners  of  the  various  states 


324  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

to  select  the  roads  that  will  be  improved.  (Applause.)  If 
he  makes  an  appropriation  upon  this  question,  and  I  am  in 
favor  of  him  doing  it  when  he  gets  away  from  this  heavy 
expense  of  the  building  of  the  canal,  which  will  be  in  a 
short  time,  and  it  will  begin  'to  be  a  paying  institution,  an 
investment,  to  carry  the  products  of  the  world;  when  he  gets 
away  from  this  thirty-five  million  dollar  improvement  for 
opening  up  Alaska  with  that  railroad;  when  he  appropriates 
a  million  and  a  half  for  improvement  of  the  highways  in 
Haiti,  and  a  like  amount  in  the  islands  here  to  the  west; 
and  three  million  dollars  for  the  improvement  of  highways 
in  the  Philippines;  I  believe  that  he  will  come  home  and 
conclude  to  assist  us  communities  in  the  betterment  of  the 
roads,  the  highways  of  the  United  States  and  I  am  in  favor 
of  that.  When  he  gets  away  from  these  heavy  expenses 
I  am  in  favor  of  him  appropriating  one  hundred  million 
dollars  a  year  to  assist  the  various  states  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  highways.  (Applause.)  But  I  am  in  favor  of 
apportioning  that,  Mr.  Chairman,  according  to  the  popula- 
tion of  the  people  of  these  United  States  to  the  various 
highway  commissioners  of  the  various  states  that  are  likely 
to  expend  it  as  will  the  state  of  Illinois.  The  Illinois  law, 
apportions  to  each  county  in  the  state  its  pro  rata,  and  will 
make  a  pro  rata  to  each  county  that  which  will  come  from 
;the  aid  of  the  government  of  the  United  States.  Then,  all 
the  people  in  every  community  may  partake  in  this  splendid 
improvement. 

In  a  few  years,  believe  me,  it  will  cost  one  hundred  and 
eighty  million  dollars  to  make  this  system  of  roads  that 
has  been  laid  out  by  the  Illinois  highway  commission;  and 
I  believe  that  the  best  work  and  the  best  service  that  we 
have  done  to  that,  state  in  the  last  two  years,  from  the 
moment  we  were  appointed,  was  to  figure  out  just  what 
the  sixteen  thousand  miles  would  cost  building  the  various 
widths  of  the  particular  material  that  would  serve  the  various 
•communities  best.  Now,  Mr.  Chairman,  we  have  heard 
much  of  the  Pacific  coast.  I  don't  object  that  these  states 
are  selecting  one  road  for  their  particular  portion  that 
comes  from  Uncle  Samuel,  to  build  this  highway  from  the. 
Canadian  line  to  the  Mexican  line,  but  when  Uncle  Samuel 
gets  into  that  thing,  I  am  in  favor  of  him  giving  the  pro 
rata  to  the  great  heart  of  the  United  States.  We  have 
"heard  much  of  the  beauties  of  the  Pacific  coast  since  we  have 
been  in  this  congress,  every  word  of  which  I  approve  of 
lieartily;  every  word  of  which  I  believe  each  individual  in 
ll'is  congress,  coming  from  whatever  state  he  may,  approves 
of.  It  was  my  privilege  to  drive  up  and  down  the  Eastern 
seaboard  in  May  of  this  year  and  see  the  beauties  over  there. 
We  love  them  all.  We  love  every  foot  of  ground  in  the 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  325- 

United  States  of  America,  but  we  have  got  some  beauties  in 
the  Mississippi  Valley,  the  great  heart  that  feeds  the  people  of 
this  country,  that  sends  its  products  abroad  to  help  feed 
the  rest  of  the  human  family  of  the  world.  And  we  have 
got  some  beauties  there  we  want  to  call  your  attention  to 
just  for  a  moment. 

I  don't  want  to  take  up  too  much  time,  but  let  me  draw  a 
picture  of  the  Mississippi  valley  that  is  in  harmony  with 
the  beautiful  picture  of  the  eastern  seaboard  and  the  beau- 
tiful picture  of  the  Golden  Gate  of  California,  Washington, 
Oregon,  Utah  and  all  of  the  inter-mountain  states.  When  I 
think  of  the  improvement  of  that  vast  country  during  the  last 
century  the  story  seems  incredible.  A  hundred  years  ago 
it  was  a  vast,  fertile,  wild  country,'  with  lakes  sparkling 
beneath  the  sunlight  of  heaven,  and  rivers  gently  flowing  to- 
ward their  meeting  with  the  great  Mississippi.  And  be- 
neath the  placid  , surface  of  the  lakes  and  streams  the  fish 
flirted  with  their  fickle  mates  without  disturbance  from  the 
ai.'gler;  the  song  birds  piped  their  merry  notes  in  the 
forest;  and  the  redmen  chased  the  wolf  and  bear  and  deer 
over  wild  prairies,  through  woods  and  over  hill  and  dale. 
But  there  was  not  heard  the  sound  of  a  farm-yard  fowl,  the 
lowing  of  domestic  herds,  the  music  of  industry  or  the  sound 
oi  the  builder's  mallet.  How  different  is  all  of  that  today. 
The  whole  vast  region  is  occupied  by  civilized  man  and 
there  is  under  cultivation  every  cereal,  vegetation  and  flower 
known  to  the  north  temperate  clime.  Ah,  tbe  cocks  you 
hear  at  the  break  of  day,  from  home  to.  home  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  whole  vast  region,  calling  on 
all  to  waken  for  the  day's  pursuits;  while  the  lowing  of 
the  domestic  herds  at  eventide,  betokens  the  approach  of 
parting  day.  The  whole  region  is  dotted  with  villages,  cities 
and  towns  that  are  linked  together  by  rails  of  steel  over 
which  the  iron  horse  feels  his  way,  making  the  whole  vast 
region  one  mighty  neighborhood.  We  can  go  to  sleep  in  a 
palace  at  Chicago  at  night  and  awaken  at  Pittsburgh,  St. 
Louis,  Kansas  City  or  St.  Paul  the  next  morning.  We  can 
talk  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  each  hill  and  dale  is 
bedecked  with  a  schoolhouse  or  a  church  spire.  These 
schools  and  churches  testify  to  a  great  civilization,  the  in- 
telligence of  which  is  not  to  be  excelled  by  any  land  be- 
neath the  sun.  It  is  for  that  broad  area  which  furnishes 
the  grain  for  the  world,  the  cotton  to  clothe  the  people,  that 
I  plead  here  today  as  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  that 
this  resolution  be  made  broader.  That  if  Uncle  Sam  gets  into 
the  construction  of  the  highways  of  the  people  that  he  gives 
to  each  locality,  the  states  of  this  Union,  an  equal  chance 
and  apportion  the  money  according  to  this  population.  I 
plead  for  the  defeat  of  this  resolution  or  I  want  you  to  make 


326  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

it  broad  enough  to  cover  every  state  and  you  may  apportion 
your  part  to  one  road,  but  leave  it  to  us  to  apportion  the 
part  that  we  get  to  whatever  highways  we  may  see  fit.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

MR.  HILL:  May  we  have  the  resolution  read  again, 
please? 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  I  don't  think  Mr.  Gash 
quite  understood  the  resolution.  I  would  like  to  have  the 
chairman  of  the  committee  read  it. 

MR.  GASH:    Let  me  hear  it  read  again. 

(Mr.    Tillson    read    the    resolution.) 

MR.  TILLSON:  I  cannot  see  anything  in  that  resolution 
that  interferes  with  anyone's  constitutional  right  to  enjoy 
life,  liberty  or  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  Remember,  there 
is  not  a  thing  said  here  about  construction.  There  is  not 
a  thing  said  about  who  should  pay  for  the  cost  of  this  work 
if  it  should  be  built. 

MR.  GASH:  The  trouble  with  it  is  we  all  admit  the  .ad- 
visability of  every  road,  if  I  may  be  pardoned  a  moment. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Mr.  Gash,  excuse  me.  I 
recognized  Mr.  Hill. 

MR.  HILL:     I  yield.     I  would  like  to  hear  him  finish. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:     Mr.  Hill  yields  the  floor. 

MR.  GASH:  We  admit  the  advisability  of  every  road, 
but  we  want  to  make  all  of  our  highways  on  the  Pacific 
coast  lead  down  to  the  principal  places,  so  that  they  can 
be  used  by  Uncle  Samuel  as  military  roads,  and  by  the  people 
as  pleasure  or  business  roads,  and  why  select  one  highway? 
It  is  unconstitutional  to  expend  on  one  particular  highway. 
Did  it  ever  occur  to  you 

MR.  TILLSON:  That  question  is  not  up,  Mr.  Gash,  in  the 
resolution. 

MR.  GASH:  No,  but  I  am  naturally  opposed  to  the  reso- 
lution because  it  asks  congress  to  appoint  a  committee  to 
expend  to  go  out  and  search  for  one  highway  and  select 
it  to  be  made  a  military  highway  of  the  United  States.  I 
am  opposed  to  military  highways  within  the  confines  of  the 
United  States  in  that  sense  of  the  word.  I  want  all  the 
people  to  use  every  highway  and  I  am  opposed  to  the  reso- 
lution for  the  reason  that  it  has  in  it  the  question  of  estab- 
lishing a  military  highway.  This  is  not  a  military  govern- 
ment, although  we  will  defend  ourselves  against  all  comers 
and  goers  if  they  attack  the  United  States  of  America.  Every 
raan  will  lay  down  his  life,  and  he  teaches  his  children  so, 
but  we  don't  want  any  military  roads  in  the  United  States 
of  America.  We  want  the  people's  highways,  the  greatest 
of  all  public  utilities.  (Applause.) 

I  think  I  understood  the  resolution,  and  I  am  opposed  to 
it  more  for  the  use  of  the  word  "military"  highway  than 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  327 

other  thing  that  you  have  got  in  it.  Why  should  Uncle 
Sam  select  some  military  highway  if  he  isn't  going  to  build 
it?  Why  should  he  expend  money  to  get  a  committee  to 
come  out  here  to  the  Pacific  coast  that  we  all  love,  to  select 
a  military  highway  if  he  is  not  going  to  build  a  military 
highway?  This  congress  should  go  on  record  asking  that 
Uncle  Sam  ultimately  get  into  this  road  construction,  be- 
cause he  uses  all  of  them  as  mail  highways  to  carry  the 
mail  of  the  peopie  of  the  United  States,  No.  I  pm  opposed 
tc  the  resolution.  I  understood  it  in  the  beginning;  but  I 
thought  if  we  passed  that  this  year  and  Uncle  Sam  goes 
out  and  selects  a  military  highway,  won't  this  congress 
go  on  record  asking  him  to  build  that  highway  at  a  later 
day?  Everything  I  do  I  look  forward  to  the  future,  what 
effect  it  will  have  upon  my  fellows  in  the  future.  It  is  not 
today  that  I  am  building  for  my  children  and  my  neigh- 
bor's children  and  myself,  but  it  is  for  next  week,  next  year, 
and  the  year  following  and  for  all  years  to  come.  Now, 
Mr.  Chairman,  that  military  proposition,  let  us  eliminate 
that  from  this  congress.  .. 

MR.  HILL:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  very  sorry  I  am  not 
an  orator.  I  am  only  a  plain  business  man,  now  a  farmer. 
1  have  listened  with  great  interest  to  the  description  of  the 
Mississippi  valley.  I  lived  for  forty  years  in  Minnesota  and 
perhaps  know  something  about  the  valley.  I  have  walked 
from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  coast. 

I  think  I  may  say,  if  you  will  pardon  me,  I  am  almost  an 
American.  I  have  a  house  in  Washington,  D.  C.  I  have  a 
house  in  Massachusetts,  a  house  in  Minnesota,  a  house  in 
Seattle,  a  house  now  being  erected  in  California,  but  thank 
God  I  can  live  down  on  the  farm.  I  am  not  localized  in 
speaking  about  conditions  throughout  the  United  States.  I 
have  the  very  great  honor  to  be  the  president  of  the  Pacific 
Highway  Association.  If  all  goes  well  by  1916  you  will  be 
able  to  drive  from  British  Columbia  to  Mexico  over  this 
road. 

How  much  has  Illinois  bonded  itself  for  good  roads? 

MR.  GASH:  Not  for  a  dollar.  Two  counties  have  bond- 
ed. 

MR.  HILL:  California  has  bonded  itself  for  eighteen  mil- 
lion dollars  already  and  it  contemplates  another  bond  issue. 

You  go  out  to  the  Presidio  arid  you  will  find  an  im- 
pregnable fortress.  Men  competent  tell  you  that  twenty-five 
miles  below  that  you  could  land  a  force  and  take  this  country. 
That  is  your  condition  today  in  the  United  States.  The 
United  States  is  in  a  very  precarious  condition. 

I  am  tired  of  this  peace  talk.  Now  what  we  propose  is 
this:  We  have  asked  to  have  this  matter  investigated  and 
see  what  is  in  it,  to  see  if  it  is  possible  to  safeguard  this 


328  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

government,  because  sometimes  preparation  in  a  time  of 
peace  prevents  war,  The  constitution  provides  for  post- 
office  and  post  roads.  These  states  have  gone  as  far  as 
they  should  go  in  building  their  own  roads  under  the  high- 
way commissioners  and  we  are  simply  asking  the  government 
to  see  if  it  is  not  a  wise  thing  sometime  to  investigate  this 
back  door.  You  men  down  in  Illinois  fold  your  arms  and 
talk  about  song  birds,  but  we  are  out  on  the  front  on  the 
firing-line,  because  the  population  of  the  world,  if  it  ever 
starts  towards  the  United  States,  will  come  over  the  Pacific 
Ocean  to  this  coa-st.  Why,  gentlemen,  this  land  right  up 
and  down  this  coast  is  so  fertile  that  every  ten  acres,  when 
properly  cultivated  will  support  the  best  men  with  their 
families.  You  need  no  army  and  navy.  You  will  have  that 
wall  of  flesh  up  and  down  that  coast.  Is  there  any  better 
way  to  do  it  than  that?  Is  there?  Now,  gentlemen,  we  ask 
nothing  at  all.  We  object,  though,  to  having  anything  said 
of  this  character  that  one  part  of  the  United  States  has  it 
all.  I  don't  think  it  has.  I  like  the  Pacific  coast.  I  be- 
lieve in  it. 

I  also  believe  in  my  country.  What  did  you  do  about 
this  matter  on  July  fourth,  the  "Treaty  of  Peace?"  What 
did  Illinois  do  about  that?  We  have  had  a  hundred  years 
of  peace  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  Did 
you  celebrate  that  peace  in  Illinois?  No,  you  did  not.  We 
celebrated  that  peace  in  Washington.  The  whole  of  Wash- 
ington came  out  and  celebrated  that  peace  on  July  4.  Now, 
what  happened? 

I  have  taken  up  too  much  time,  perhaps;  I  have  spoken  too 
seriously.  All  I  urge  is  this,  that  our  government  shall 
think  of  what  it  is  doing  before  it  makes  these  large  ex- 
penditures. They  talk  of  getting  down  to  hardtack.  I  had 
three  men  dining  with  me,  and  I  showed  them  my  model 
maps.  The  men  were  George  Dewey,  James  J.  Hill  and 
John  Stevens,  all  competent  to  talk  about  transportation, 
too. 

MR.  GASH:     Oh,  yes. 

MR.  HILL:  I  got  a  piece  of  paper  and  a  pencil  and 
showed  the  admiral  that  if  he  had  the  battleship  Oregon  at 
the  Panama  Canal  and  started  to  sail  to  Seattle,  Washing- 
ton, to  repel  an  attack  then  made  by  any  foreign  power,  a 
vessel  could  sail  from  Japan  and  be  there  a  day  ahead  of  him 
on  this  side  of  the  coast.  That  is  your  condition.  Now, 
what  I  mean  is,  our  country  here  is  a  whole  country.  It  is 
not  limited  to  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Ohio;  they  are  good 
states,  but  not  the  whole  country.  I  think  this  is  a  wise 
provision.  I  have  traveled  a  great  deal  and  speak  from  ex- 
perience, and  say  to  you  that  no  country  today  in  all  the 
world,  unless  it  be  China,  is  so  thoroughly  unprepared.  I 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  329 

want  congress  to  investigate  and  see  if  we  can't  learn  where 
we  are,  and  where  we  stand.  (Applause.) 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  The  gentleman  painted  a  beautiful 
picture,  and  in  the  painting  of  that  picture,  all  of  which  I  saw 
and  part  of  which  I  was,  I  recognize  the  vast  difference  be- 
tween the  terms  that  the  government  settled  the  West  upon, 
and  that  which  was  done  in  Oregon.  These  things  were 
possible,  and  that  country  was  cultivated  and  is  now  a  great 
country,  because  the  government  of  the  United  States  dis- 
posed of  its  land.  Everybody  could  get  land  at  $1.25  an  acre, 
and  it  was  taken  at  once,  and  the  state  received  the  tax  upon 
it,  and  people  improved  it,  and  the  population  grew  from  that. 
What  has  the  government  done  on  the  Pacific  coast  in  Ore- 
gon? Sixty  per  cent,  of  the  land  is  still  in  the  government, 
and  the  government  won't  sell  you  the  land.  It  goes  into  the 
timber  business.  It  won't  put  a  price  upon  the  land,  and 
comes  in  and  competes  with  our  people  who  have  land.  That 
United  States  road  can  be  built  to  Oregon  and  Washington, 
without  going  off  government  land.  What  do  you  think  of 
that?  Sixty  per  cent,  of  the  land  is  withheld  from  the  people. 
Some  of  that  is  valuable  agricultural  land,  and  much  of  it  the 
best  timber  land  in  the  world.  If  we  had  the  tax  from  that 
land  we  could  afford  to  build  a  road  ourselves,  so  that  in 
dealing  with  the  past  the  government  is  in  a  different  position 
entirely.  I  ask  you  why  can  you  question  the  justice  of  the 
United  States  which  has  this  land  to  sell — it  won't  put  a  price 
on  it — what  injustice  is  there  in  the  government  building  a 
road  through  this  land  and  increasing  the  value  of  it  from  ten 
to  twenty  fold?  The  government  can  afford  to  do  it,  and  it 
will  enhance  the  value  of  the  land  sufficiently  to  pay  for  three 
roads  through  Oregon.  That  is  the  situation  in  regard  to 
the  West.  It  is  just  and  it  is  right. 

MR.  ROGERS:  It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  unfair  to  put  a 
question  of  this  kind,  which  will  go  out  all  over  this  country 
in  the  newspapers,  and  said  to  be  a  resolution  adopted  by  a 
joint  convention  of  the  American  Highway  Association,  the 
American  Road  Builders'  Association,  and  two  associations 
on  the  Pacific  coast.  Now  there  are  but  a  few  people  here  to 
speak  for  the  American  Road  Builders'  Association  and  the 
the  American  Highway  Association.  Therefore  I  object  to 
placing  a  question  before  this  audience  of  this  character  and 
taking  a  vote  on  something  that  is  purely  local,  and  herald  it 
all  over  this  country  as  a  resolution  passed  by  the  Pan- 
American  Road  Congress.  (Applause.) 

MR.  JOHNSON  (Manitoba) :  This  question  raised  by  this 
resolution  is  a  very  important  one,  no  doubt.  I  come  here 
as  a  delegate,  and  am  invited  to  this  convention  from  one  of 
the  provinces  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  and  while  I  do  not 
think  it  conceivable  that  a  military  road,  if  constructed  as  is 


330  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

suggested  here,  should  ever  be  detrimental  to  the  part  of  the 
country  that  I  come  from,  because  I  do  not  think  it  conceiv- 
able, neither  does  any  Canadian  nor  any  American  think  it 
conceivable  that  the  United  States  and  the  Dominion  of  Can- 
ada can  ever  be  at  war  (applause),  yet  I  cannot  but  feel  that 
this  congress  being  a  Pan-American  road  congress,  should 
not  be  asked  to  make  recommendations  to  the  United  States 
a>-J  taking  steps  of  a  military  nature.  I  think  that  that  phase 
of  it,  when  we  look  at  the  constitution  of  the  congress,  that 
it  is  a  Pan-American  congress,  would  make  it  better  taste 
not  to  enter  into  subjects  of  that  kind.  If  the.  majority  of  the 
congress  feel  otherwise,  I  personally  shall  be  perfectly  con- 
tented, because  I  am  convinced,  as  I  said  a  moment  ago,  that 
it  can  have  no  possible  military  significance,  so  far  as  the 
Dominion  of  Canada  is  concerned,  because  We  shall  never  be 
at  war;  but  even  that  could  be  easily  overcome  by  amending 
the  resolution  in  such  a  way  as  to  eliminate  the  military  as- 
pect of  it,  and  suggest  a  National  highway,  not  a  military 
highway,  but  a  National  highway,  which  of  course  could  be 
used  for  military  purposes,  or  for  any  other  purposes  that  a 
highway  is  useful  for.  Now,  gentlemen,  I  want  you  to  under- 
stand distinctly  that  I  am  not  strongly  opposed  to  the  resor 
lt?tion,  although  I  question  its  propriety  in  a  body  constituted 
as  this  is;  because  those  of  us  who  are  from  without  the 
United  States  have  come  here  and  have  been  accorded  the 
privileges  of  even  membership  in  your  association,  and  we 
appreciate  it;  but  in  view  of  the  constitution  of  the  congress, 
the  questionable  propriety  of  forcing  a  resolution  or  even 
urging  a  resolution  of  this  kind  might  very  well  be  considered. 
It  is  not  a  matter  of  entertaining  any  fears,  and  I  am  willing 
to  defer  entirely  to  your  judgment  in  the  matter,  but  I  have 
expressed  my  personal  views  and,  I  hope,  the  views  that  pre- 
vail in  my  part  of  the  country.  (Applause.) 

MR.  COBB:  I  just  want  to  say  that  Arizona  would  not  be 
interested  in  the  construction  of  this  road,  any  more  than 
Illinois,  yet  I  intend  to  vote  for  the  resolution  for  several 
reasons.  The  first  is  that  I  don't  think  congress  will  pay  the 
slightest  attention  to  it.  (Applause.)  I  think  it  would  be 
pigeon-holed,  and  even  if  it  was  not  pigeon-holed  and  if  they 
did  not  pay  attention  to  it,  I  would  vote  for  it,  because  I  be- 
lieve it  is  a  move  in  the  right  direction,  and  it  doesn't  make 
any  difference  to  me  or  to  Arizona  where  they  start  building 
military  roads,  so  long  as  they  start.  A  third  reason  that  I 
have  for  voting  for  it  is  because  these  gentlemen  out  here  on 
the  Pacific  coast  want  us  to  vote  for  it,  and  I  think  that  those 
three  reasons  are  sufficient  for  any  man  to  vote  for  this  reso- 
lution. (Applause.) 

MR.  TERRACE:  You  people  from  the  East,  and  especial- 
ly from  Illinois  (laughter)  seem  to  think  that  you  are  perfect- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  331 

ly  at  ease,  that  you  will  be  the  last  that  ever  will  be  hurt.  If 
you  had  lived  here  on  the  coast  when  President  Roosevelt 
issued  that  proclamation  that  the  Japanese  children  should 
sit  down  by  the  side  of  the  white  children;  when  the  people 
of  the  coast  were  looking  down  the  barrel  of  a  Japanese 
man-of-war  and  couldn't  sleep  at  nights;  with  an  unfortified 
coast  along  three  states,  without  a  road  to  transport  your 
troops,  nothing  but  a  howling  wilderness,  it  would  have  been 
a  different  proposition. 

This  delegate  from  Arizona  says  that  the  congress  of  the 
United  States  will  take  but  very  little  notice.  He  never  made 
such  a  vital  mistake  in  all  his  life.  That  is  one  of  the  ques- 
tions, and  dne  of  the  great  questions  that  will  come  before 
congress  at  this  next  session.  What  can  we  do  to  prepare 
ourselves?  Do  we  want  to  be  placed  in  the  same  category 
as  England,  France,  Belgium  and  all  these  nations  that  have 
been  caught  unprepared  for  war?  If  they  had  been  prepared 
there  would  would  have  been  no  war.  It  was  because  they 
were  not  prepared  that  the  greatest  war  that  the  world  has 
ever  seen  is  going  on  today.  Prepare  for  war  in  time  of 
peace  and  you  will  have  no  war.  What  is  General  Kitchener 
saying  to  you  in  your  morning  papers?  He  says  your  forts, 
the  greatest  forts  of  modern  times,  the  greatest  forts  that  en- 
gineers could  build,  cannot  stand  your  modern  guns.  They 
avoid  these  forts.  They  will  land  on  an  outlandish  place, 
where  they  can  make  a  landing,  anywhere  along  the  coast,  and 
you  must  have  roads  to  transport  your  troops  in  case  of  neces- 
sity, from  one  part  of  the  country  to  the  other. 

Let  the  government  give  us  this  land  which  rightly  belongs 
to  us  and  we  will  build  a  road,  and  we  will  ask  no  odds  of 
any  of  you.  (Applause.)  But  instead  of  that,  sixty  per  cent, 
of  our  states,  and  the  finest  part,  is  held  by  you  people  back 
east,  and  when  we  have  to  make  roads  we  have  to  make  roads 
with  your  reservations;  and  we  have  to  go  down  into  our 
pockets  and  build  these  roads  through  these  reservations,  to 
make  connections.  Why,  it  is  an  outrage.  You  have  spent 
millions  of  dollars  on  the  rivers  in  the  east.  We  have  never 
complained,  because  you  are  in  the  majority.  You  mean 
to  dictate  to  us  and  keep  us  down.  We  are  only  asking  for 
what  is  our  own.  Give  us  the  land  and  we  will  build  the 
roads.  That  is  all  we  ask  of  you.  (Applause.) 

MR.  COBB:  Mr.  Chairman,  pardon  me  for  rising  again, 
but  Mr.  Terrace  put  me  in  the  wrong  light.  I  didn't  mean 
that  congress  would  not  take  cognizance  of  this  great  subject, 
but  I  meant  to  imply,  or  I  said  they  would  not  pay  any  at- 
tention to  this  particular  resolution  from  this  particular  meet- 
ing. I  believe  that  congress  may  take  up  this  subject,  but  it 
will  take  it  up  on  a  very  broad  scale,  and  when  they  start 
building  military  roads,  or  any  other  roads,  I  believe  they 


332  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

will  build  them  throughout  the  entire  country  and  not  in  any 
one  section. 

CAPTAIN  COGGESHALL:  Mr.  Chairman,  in  listening 
to  the  remarks  of  the  gentleman  from  Illinois,  it  led  me  to 
think  that  I  have  been  identified  for  a  number  of  years  with 
the  harbor  improvement  of  our  ports,  and  all  matters  relating 
to  improvements  on  the  Pacific  coast;  and  we  have  noted  one 
thing  in  reference  to  the  work  of  the  congress.  That  is, 
in  trying  to  get  bills  through  relative  to  harbor  improvements, 
the  gentlemen  from  the  middle  part  of  the  United  States  did 
not  seem  to  have  a  realization  of  the  fact  that  our  seaports, 
our  harbors  here,  were  very  closely  allied  with  their  pros- 
perity. The  man  from  the  middle  part  of  the  United  States 
said  he  didn't  care  whether  it  was  twenty  feet  in  Humboldt 
Bar,  or  whether  it  was  forty;  or  whether  it  was  sixteen  feet 
or  whether  it  was  forty  feet  in  New  York  Harbor,  but  as  a 
matter  of  fact  these  details  all  have  a  vital  interest  to  every 
iran  in  the  middle  part  of  the  United  States.  But  we  have 
found  that  we  have  always  had  their  opposition  in  all  these 
matters. 

Now  as  regards  this  highway  that  is  proposed — this  Na- 
tional military  highway  for  the  Pacific  coast,  I  don't  think 
,  that  the  gentleman  from  Illinois  has  the  proper  realization 
of  the  significance  of  that  road  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  himself  and  his  community  included.  I  feel  that  he 
thinks  that  the  construction  of  that  road  on  the  Pacific  coast 
is  simply  perhaps  but  for  the  convenience  of  his  fellows  who 
were  born  here,  or  couldn't  perhaps  make  a  living  back  East 
and  had  to  come  out  here;  but  I  think  he  is  entirely  mis- 
taken in  that  matter.  It  is  of  vital  interest  to  the  gentleman 
from  Illinois,  and  to  everybody  in  the  middle  part  of  the 
United  States.  If  any  matter  came  up  relative  to  Mississippi 
River  improvements,  or  any  improvements  of  roads  in  the 
interior  of  the  United  States  and  there  was  a  congress  as- 
sembled there  and  the  members  of  that  congress  who  were 
adjacent  to  that  territory  were  to  recommend  a  proposition 
in  that  territory,  I  would  consider  that  they  had  looked  the 
matter  up  very  thoroughly;  that  they  were  thoroughly  posted 
on  the  proposition,  and  that  in  putting  it  up  before  the  con- 
gress they  had  no  ulterior  motives  or  personal  motives;  that 
they  were  doing  it  for  the  good  of  the  country  at  large.  That 
is  the  same  condition  existing  as  regards  this  proposed  high- 
way. 

The  Pacific  coast  is  the  gateway  to  the  Orient.  I  do  not 
think  that  the  people  from  the  interior  of  the  country  realize 
the  perils  that  beset  the  Pacific  coast.  I  don't  think  they 
have  a  proper  realization  of  the  effect  an  attack  upon  the 
Pacific  coast  would  have  on  the  interior  of  the  United  States. 
J  feel  that  on  thinking  the  matter  over  and  giving  the  mat- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  33a 

ter  proper  thought,  that  the  gentleman  will  come  to  a  realiza- 
tion of  the  extreme  importance  of  a  military  road  in  the  ex- 
treme west  of  the  United  States,  whereby  transportation  may 
be  had  quickly  between  the  Mexican  line  and  the  Canadian 
line.  On  the  eastern  coast,  the  Atlantic  Seaboard,  you  can 
go  from  Vermont  or  the  Canadian  Line,  down  to  Florida 
Keys.  You  have  several  parallel  lines  of  railroads.  You  can 
move  your  population,  your  troops,  your  munitions  as  quickly 
as  you  wish  to  do  so.  On  the  Pacific  coast  we  have  got  a 
single  track  of  road,  practically,  running  from  the  Canadian 
Line  to  the  Mexican  Line,  and  that  road  in  many  instances 
is  a  long  distance  in  the  interior  of  the  states.  It  would  be 
imperative  that  we  should  be  able  to  move  up  and  down  on 
the  coast.  We  simply  have  no  way  of  moving  people  or 
munitions,  and  I  hope  to  see  this  resolution  carry  before 
this  congress,  and  there  should  be  an  investigation  by  the 
United  States  government  as  to  the  propriety  of  establishing 
such  a  road. 

SOME  DELEGATES:     Question,  question. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Oh,  no.  We  have  all  paid 
our  little  fare  here  to  this  convention.  This  is  the  most  im- 
portant thing  that  has  come  up,  gentlemen.  Let  us  discuss  it, 
and  let  every  one  have  a  fair  opportunity. 

MR.  SUGGS:  Mr.  Chairman:  Some  of  us  have  started  .in 
this  movement  years  ago,  and  some  of  us  only  lately.  There 
ate  a  number  of  us  who  have  been  working  along  these  lines, 
spending  our  money  and  time  for  years  trying  to  get  some- 
thing done  for  uniformity,  trying  to  get  the  roads  of  the 
United  States  improved.  I  have  been  a  pioneer.  I  am  a  son 
of  a  pioneer.  I  have  lived  on  the  border  most  of  my  life. 
[  don't  know  much  about  the  comforts  of  city  life.  I  was  a 
delegate  to  the  convention  at  Houston  a  few  years  ago,  and 
they  asked  for  a  resolution.  It  was  a  meeting  of  the  Trans- 
Mississippi  Commercial  Congress,  and  there  waj  a  resolution 
offered  asking  that  fifty  million  dollars  be  appropriated  for 
the  benefit  of  the  rivers  and  harbors,  to  be  spent  as  the  com- 
mittee on  rivers  and  harbors  saw  proper,  without  asking  con- 
gress for  an  appropriation.  I  opposed  that  resolution  be- 
cause I  have  lived  in  the  interior  for  years  and  years.  I  have 
lived  where  it  was  fifty  miles  from  my  railroad  depot.  I 
know  something  about  that  kind  of  a  life.  The  government 
has  been  spending  a  great  deal  of  money  on  railroads.  They 
have  not  selected  any  one  place,  but  any  road  that  would  go 
through  undeveloped  country,  the  government  has  been  very 
liberal  with.  They  have  also  been  liberal  with  rivers  and 
harbors. 

I  opposed  that  resolution.  I  will  never  support  that  until 
they  build  some  way  to  get  to  the  boat  landing.  Now  build- 
ing right  alongside  of  the  boat  landing  won't  reach  the  people 


334  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

of  the  interior.  Gentlemen,  I  am  afraid  it  will  hurt  our  work 
to  ask  for  one  special  road.  I  am  in  favor  of  the  government 
building,  owning  and  maintaining  a  system  of  highways. 
Then  I  believe  the  state  will  follow  suit.  I  think  the  govern- 
ment ought  to  set  the  example.  I  think  the  investigating 
cemrnittee,  if  they  will  enlarge  that  resolution,  should  investi- 
gate and  look  into  the  building  of  highways,  one  from  Win- 
nipeg to  the  Gulf,  one  from  Wilmington  or  New  York  to 
San  Francisco.  That  is  all  right.  That  will  reach  the  people 
of  the  interior  and  it  will  help  our  cause,  but  when  we  build 
along  one  line,  I  am  afraid  it  won't  help  our  cause. 

I  am  as  much  delighted  with  the  Pacific  coast  as  any  visitor 
liere.  I  have  been  well  entertained,  and  I  feel  better  by  being 
liere,  and  I  know  that  we  will  accomplish  a  great  deal.  But 
it  seems  to  me  if  we  were  to  pass  a  resolution  of  that  sort, 
it  would  hurt  the  great  work  we  have  undertaken  along  these 
lines  of  improving  the  highways  of  the  United  States,  and  I 
shall  oppose  that  resolution.  I  would  be  ashamed  to  go  home 
and  face  my  people  and  tell  them  that  I  wanted  just  one  line 
oi"  road  in  the  United  States  investigated,  and  see  whether 
it  would  be  the  fair  thing.  I  hope  that  resolution,  for  the 
good  of  the  order,  for  the  good  of  the  whole  association,  for 
the  good  of  the  country,  will  not  be  considered,  or  that  the 
resolution  will  be  enlarged. 

(George  W.  Tillson  then  took  the  Chair.) 

MR.  MAC  DONALD:  I  don't  want  to  be  considered  as 
taking  advantage  of  my  position  as  chairman,  and  so  I  have 
asked  Brother  Tillson  to  take  the  chair,  while  I,  the  only  sur- 
viving member  of  the  organizers  of  the  American  Road  Build- 
ers' Association,  just  say  a  word.  I  have  always  had  a  very 
high  regard  for  Mr.  Tillson,  and  never  more  so  than  today, 
•when  he  sat  as  the  chairman  of  the  committee  on  resolutions. 
And  I  remember  that  the  first  resolution  that  was  ever  passed 
in  the  original,  the  parent  organization,  the  American  Road 
Builders'  Association,  the  mother  of  all  these  organizations, 
-vvas  that  the  American  Road  Builders'  Association  is  a  delib- 
erative body,  not  a  legislative  body.  And  the  question  that 
\vas  raised  by  a  gentleman  is  highly  tenable;  that  we  have 
no  right  to  come  here,  an  organization  composed  of  four 
different  associations  representing  different  conditions  and 
different  parts  o'f  the  country,  without  going  back  to  our  sev- 
eral constitutions  and  asking  them  what  ought  to  be  the 
action  of  each  individual  association. 

So  I  have  always  opposed  taking  any  decisive  action  in  a 
legislative , way.  I  think  I  quite  agree  with  my  friend  Gash 
of  Illinois.  I  was  proud  of  the  fact  that  Brother  Tillson  ably 
represented  my  association  in  tempering  that  resolution  to 
read  "To  inquire  into  the  advisability  of."  No  action  binding 
this  convention,  or  placing  the  responsibility  on  that  great 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  335 

legislative  body  elected  by  the  entire  electorate  of  the  United 
States,  can  be  taken  that  might  govern  this  great  question 
that  is  being  talked  about  today. 

There  were  three  times  in  the  history  of  a  great  people  in 
which  three  roads  did  mean  something.  The  old  Kings 
Highway  that  I  had  the  delightful  privilege  of  finishing,  in  so 
far  as  it  went  through  the  state  of  Connecticut;  the  old  Win- 
chester road,  and  the  road  over  in  Brussels  that  changed  in 
a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  the  map  of  the  world. 
There  is  not  an  American  city  today  in  which  the  blue  blood 
ot  patriotism  runs,  but  what  has  hung  its  head  in  shame  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  we  were  not  prepared  and  had  to 
stand  supinely  by  and  be  insulted  as  a  nation  because  we  were 
not  ready  to  throw  the  gauntlet  down  (applause),  and  when 
the  man  in  the  white  house  stood  up  in  his  might  and  gave 
the  word,  thus  far  shalt  thou  go  and  no  farther,  then  the 
United  States  took  her  position. 

Now  let  me  tell  you  something,  as  one  of  the  oldest  men  in 
this  business.  No  man  has  known  that  man  longer  than  I 
have.  I  sat  at  one  of  the  greatest  meetings  ever  held  in  the 
City  of  New  York.  We  have  men  who  speak  for  good  roads, 
we  have  men  who  sing  songs  about  good  roads,  we  have  men 
who  tell  stones  about  good  roads,  we  have  men  who  write 
about  good  roads,  but  we  don't  have  a  great  many  men  who 
spend  their  money  and  their  time  for  good  roads,  and  I  am 
very  glad  to  say  we  have  such  a  man  in  our  audience  today, 
Mr.  Samuel  Hill,  of  Washington.  (Applause.)  I  would  not 
for  one  moment,  gentlemen,  ask  you  to  stultify  yourselves  or 
commit  yourselves  as  against  what  your  several  constituen- 
cies would  have  you  do,  but  I  do  believe  it  is  high  time  to 
use  the  farmers'  roads;  the  farmers  who  have  made  this 
country  what  it  is  today;  the  men  who  built  over  two  hundred 
miles  of  these  roads  over  which  has  grown  this  great  con- 
stituency that  is  respected  by  the  entire  world.  Their  roads 
have  ceased  to  be  local;  a  new  day  has  dawned,  new  uses 
have  been  put  to  the  old  farm  road.  Why  did  state  aid  be- 
come necessary?  Because  these  public  highways  were  open, 
and  a  public  highway  once  opened,  used  by  the  public,  should 
be  paid  for  by  the  public  and  out  of  the  .public  purse.  They 
are  ceasing  to  become  local.  They  have  become  a  state 
charge,  and  in  my  own  state  I  laid  out,  not  one  trunk  line, 
but  fourteen  trunk  lines,  so  as  to  reach  as  large  a  population 
as  possible  in  my  district.  So  I  say  that  it  is  high  time  that 
when  the  people  come  from  one  part  of  the  country  to  the 
other,  and  these  roads  are  used  as  they  are  now  generally  by 
everyone,  and  the  states  are  groaning  under  the  responsibil- 
ity, with  the  pride  of  having  as  good  a  system  of  roads  as 
any  other  state  in  this  great  government,  that  we  should  ask 
the  nation  to  come  in  and  assist  us.  I  don't  believe  that  we 


336  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

have  the  right  to  arrogate  to  ourselves  anything  that  will 
suggest  a  standard  demand,  but  I  do  believe  in  the  constitu- 
ency coming  to  congress  and  saying,  we  would  like  to  have 
you  consider  this  matter.  Now  if  you  think  it  advisable, 
look  into  it,  and  then  if  you  think  it  wise,  to  add  for  military 
purposes  another  road  in  some  other  place,  add  to  it,  gentle- 
men, a  north  road,  a  south  road;  and  it  is  not  a  precedent. 

We  are  spending  the  National  money  on  our  national  high- 
ways today,  and  it  is  high  time  that  the  government  should 
do  something  along  this  line,  because  these  roads  are  not  local 
any  more.  They  don't  even  belong  to  the  state.  They  are 
national  highways.  The  day  never  should  dawn  in  which  the 
United  States  should  be  put  in  the  menial  position  which  she 
has  occupied  during  the  past  year,  simply  because  she  was 
not  ready  to  stand  up  and  defend  her  rights  in  the  face  of 
the  world.  So  I  say,  gentlemen,  in  conclusion,  this  innocent 
resolution  that  commits  us  to  nothing,  simply  places  the 
matter  before  our  congressmen  and  our  senators  to  inquire 
irto,  is  highly  proper  for  this  convention,  and  if  I  did  not 
think  it  was  so,  I  woutdn't  advocate  it.  (Applause.) 

(James  H.  MacDonald  then  resumed  the  Chair.) 

MR.  WILSON:  I  would  like  to  ask  the  gentleman  from 
Illinois  a  question.  He  made  a  statement  entirely  new  to  me, 
that  it  is  unconstitutional  for  the  United  States  to  build  a 
road.  Where  did  that  come  from,  and  where  was  the  de- 
cision? 

MR.  GASH:  Mr.  Chairman,  if  the  gentleman  will  read  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States  and  the  constitution  of  the 
various  states,  and  the  decisions  upon  the  question,  I  think 
he  will  find  that  it  is  unconstitutional  to  select  any  particular 
road  to  construct  under  these  various  constitutions.  It  would 
be  special  legislation,  and  it  is  against  the  constitution  of  the 
United  States  and  the  constitutions  of  the  various  states  that 
I  have  investigated,  and  I  have  investigated  a  number,  to  es- 
pecially legislate  upon  any  question.  For  congress  to  appro- 
priate any  amount  of  money  and  distribute  it  among  the  vari- 
ous states,  it  would  be  general  legislation.  This  is  virtually 
asking  the  United  States  of  America  to  'select  one  road. 
Now  we  want  roads  coming  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  if  you 
ever  get  in  trouble  on  the  Pacific  coast,  there  will  be  millions 
of  boys  in  the  interior  of  the  United  States  that  will  shoulder 
the  musket  to  assist  you  in  repelling  any  invasion.  (Ap- 
plause.) We  have  got  railroads  coming  from  the  east.  We 
have  got  the  Santa  Fe,  we  have  got  the  Southern  Pacific,  the 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande, -the  Union  Pacific  and  the  Northern 
Pacific. 

The  question  was  raised  here  by  the  gentleman  from  Can- 
ada, which  ought  to  prevail  here  without  further  discussion. 
You  ought  to  lay  the  question  on  the  table.  This  is  a  Pan- 

< 

I 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  337 

American  road  congress.     Let  us  proceed  parliamentary  ac- 
cording to  the  rules  of  law. 

"CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:     Brother  Gash,  the  gentle- 
man yielded  the  floor  just  for  you  to  answer  that  question. 

MR.  WILSON:  The  United  States  government  never  built 
but  one  road.  It  built  a  national  highway  from  Cumber- 
land, Maryland,  to  Wheeling,  West  Virginia.  It  paid  its 
money  and  surveyed  that  line  into  the  gentleman's  own  state 
as  far  west  as  Vandalia.  There  was  not  any  criticism  then 
about  its  being  unconstitutional.  (Applause.) 

MR.  KENYON:  The  gentleman  was  entirely  right.  The 
government  did  build  a  national  road,  built  it  through  three 
or  four  states.  The  constitutionality  of  it  was  widely  dis- 
cussed at  that  time,  and  it  was  decided  that  it  was  constitu- 
tional to  build  a  road,  because  there  is  a  clause  in  the  Con- 
stitution that  provides  that  there  may  be  post  roads.  It  does 
not  say  military  roads;  it  says  post  roads.  Now  if  there  is 
one  objection  to  this  at  all  it  is  the  objection  to  the  word 
military  in  there.  That  is  all.  If  it  is  a  National  road,  it  can 
be  used  for  military  purposes  and  for  the  defense  of  the  state, 
and  I  am  strongly  in  favor  of  having  the  road  built  for  the 
protection  of  the  country.  I  think  we  all  are.  It  is  absurd 
to  think  that  we  couldn't  do  it.  I  want  to  call  your  attention 
to  another  thing.  We  are  mistaken  when  we  say  we  can't 
appropriate  for  a  particular  thing.  They  appropriated  so 
much  money  for  the  harbor  in  San  Francisco,  and  the  harbor 
of  New  York,  and  the  harbor  of  Boston.  They  are  made  spe- 
cific items,  and  we  make  specific  appropriations.  The  same 
thing  they  do  for  Chicago,  and  the  great  lakes,  exery  one  of 
them,  and  when  they  made  an  appropriation  first  for  the 
Mississippi  river,  it  was  an  individual  appropriation.  They 
have  got  a  rivers  and  harbors  bill,  and  in  that  rivers  and  har- 
bors bill,  whether  there  is  only  one  mentioned,  or  a  dozen  as 
the  necessities  of  the  case  require,  they  make  a  specific  appro- 
priation for  each  project.  Then  why  don't  they  make  a  spe- 
cific appropriation  for  roads?  Why,  they  could  do  it.  There 
icn't  any  question  about  that,  so  far  as  the  law  is  concerned. 
Now  the  thing  of  it  is,  we  are  all  in  favor  of  having  the  nation 
help  build  these  roads,  and  the  question  is  to  get  them  started. 
One  thing  that  strikes  me,  as  I  said,  is  whether  that  question 
v/ould  not  be  raised  immediately,  when  you  use  the  word 
"military,"  that  the  constitution  said  "post-roads."  But  post- 
roads  belonging  to  the  government  could  be  used  for  military 
purposes,  and  why  doesn't  it  rub  out  the  roughness  of  it,  by 
just  eliminating  the  word  military  and  putting  in  the  word 
National.  Nearly  every  one  of  these  organizations  have 
passed  resolutions  in  the  past  favoring  National  highways, 
National  roads.  Government  assistants  won't  do  it.  They 
disagree  as  to  the  particular  method  that  should  be  used,  but 
if  we  can  get  them  started,  or  get  their  attention  brought  to 


338  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

it  by  passing  this  particular  resolution,  why  I  think  we  ought 
to  do  it,  by  all  means. 

I  agree  with  the  position  taken  by  Mr.  Hill  and  these  gen- 
tlemen, that  it  is  vastly  important  to  this  coast  to  have  a  road 
that  could  be  used  for  military  purposes  along  this  coast.  It 
is  not  only  for  the  benefit  of  the  coast,  it  is  for  the  benefit  of 
the  whole  country,  and  why  not  say  so?  I  just  make  that 
suggestion.  I  don't  want  to,  but  I  am  almost  tempted  to 
move  to  amend  the  resolution  by  striking  out  the  word  "Mili- 
tary," and  substituting  in  its  place  "National."  I  believe  I 
will  make  the  motion.  . 

MR.  JEWKES:  Mr.  Chairman,  the  hour  is  now  1.35.  This 
is  a  big  question.  I  would  hate  to  vote  wrong  on  this  ques- 
tion, and  I  hope  we  will  be  American,  every  one  of  us,  and 
live  under  the  flag.  Let  us  get  as  many  points  of  view  on 
this  question  as  is  possible.  Then  we  can  vote  intelligently. 
I  would  hate  to  vote  against  my  interests.  I  would  like  to 
hear  a  little  further  discussion  on  this.  Could  we  not  prop- 
erly defer  this  question  on  this  particular  resolution  to  the 
close  of  the  day's  session,  or  a  little  later,  or  at  a  special 
time?  I  would  like  to  see  it  voted  on  well.  The  hour  is 
late  now,  and  I  would  like  to  hear  more  points  of  view  on 
this  question. 

MR.  COBB:  I  just  wish  to  call  attention  to  one  thing  that 
has  been  brought  out  in  this  discussion.  A  few  days  ago  we 
were  discussing  the  local  road,  and  in  some  paper  or  talk  it 
was  mentioned,  that  unless  the  individual  happened  to  be  on 
the  road  that  was  to  be  built,  that  he  was  usually  opposed  to 
it.  It  was  very  hard  to  show  a  narrow-minded  man  like  that 
that  he  was  going  to  derive  any  benefits  from  the  improve- 
ment of  the  road.  I  think  that  all  here  deprecated  that  posi- 
tion taken  by  so  many  citizens  when  we  were  considering  this 
road  question  from  a  narrow,  restricted  standpoint  of  our 
county  or  state.  They  thought  that  the  individual  who  hap- 
.  pened  to  live  off  the  road  ought  to  be  patriotic  enough  to  be 
in  favor  of  the  construction  of  a  main  highway.  Now  when 
you  get  to  discussing  the  questions  which  affect  the  whole 
United  States,  look  at  the  narrow  manner  in  which  you  view 
this  question.  Now  the  suggestion  has  been  made  that  we 
strike  out  "military  road"  and  put  "national  road"  in  there. 
I  think  that  would  be  a  mistake  for  this  reason.  I  don't 
think  that  there  can  be  any  haggling  over  the  question  as 
to  where  a  military  road  is  needed  the  most  in  the  United 
States.  I  don't  think  that  you  have  any  dispute  in  this  gath- 
ering at  all  on  that  subject.  I  think  that  we  are  all  agreed 
that  if  there  was  a  military  road  built,  the  first  one  should  be 
built  along  the  Pacific  coast. 

MR.  ROY:  This  reminds  me  of  one  of  my  experiences  a 
number  of  years  ago  when  I  was  just  a  young  voter.  I  at- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  339 

tended  a  lecture  on  prohibition,  and  at  the  close  of  the  lecture 
the  people  at  the  head  of  the  movement  passed  a  petition  in 
the  audience  asking  for  signatures,  praying  the  state  legis- 
lature to  submit  to  the  people  of  the  state  an  amendment  on 
prohibition.  •  A  friend  of  mine  was  sitting  by  the  side  of  me 
when  the  petition  came  along,  and  passed  it  right  on  beyond 
me.  I  caught  it  as  it  passed  and  started  to  append  my  signa- 
ture. He  said,  "You  don't  want  to  sign  that.  You  are  not  in 
favor  of  prohibition."  "Well,"  I  says,  "this  petition  don't 
pretend  to  ask  me  to  say  that  I  am  in  favor  of  prohibition. 
This  petition  asks  me  to  ask  the  state  legislature  to  give  the 
people  of  this  state  an  opportunity  to  say  whether  the  ma- 
jority of  the  voters  are  in  favor  of  prohibition."  I  signed  the 
petition.  I  was  not  afraid  to  leave  it  to  the  state  legislature 
that  was  elected  to  represent  the  various  localities,  to  say 
whether  an  amendment  of  this  kind  should  be  submitted  to 
the  people.  Now  this  is  the  question  our  chairman  brought 
out,  I  think,  very  plainly  here;  that  this  is  simply  a  request 
to  have  this  matter  investigated.  Then  we  will  have  the  in- 
formation coming  from  the  representatives  of  the  different 
states  of  this  country  as  to  the  feasibility  of  this  project.  I 
believe  it  does  not  compromise  the  Pan-American  Road  Con- 
gress. 

MR.  WILLIAMS:  I  have  not  had  the  experience  of  some 
or  my  friends  and  colleagues.  I  have  not  traveled  as  widely 
a?  they  have,  but  some  one  has  said  that  a  dwarf  standing  on 
the  shoulder  of  a  giant,  can  sometimes  see  farther  than  the 
giant.  I  am  the  dwarf.  While  I  may  not  see  all  the  ques- 
tions that  are  at  issue  here,  I  think  from  the  arguments  and 
discussion  there  are  a  few  things  that  might  be  at  least  worth 
bringing  out.  First,  the  gentleman  here  referred  to  the  Old 
National  road.  If  my  memory  serves  me  right,  the  majority 
of  that  was  built  by  the  states  through  which  it  passed.  I 
think  it  was  built  under  government  direction.  We  have  sev- 
eral roads  through  West  Virginia  that  were  built  by  the 
mother  state,  and  at  the  present  time  according  to  some  of  the 
decisions  of  the  Supreme  Court,  it  is  a  mooted  question  as  to 
how  much  each  of  the  states  should  pay.  That  is  a  matter 
of  issue.  But,  my  friends,  in  connection  with  this  question 
'that  we  are  now  bringing  out,  there  is  a  point  I  think  that 
we  should  well  consider.  From  my  viewpoint  the  greatest 
danger,  and  I  mean  today  the  real  danger  that  we  are  facing 
as  a  citizenship,  is  not  the  danger  of  external  invasion,  but 
the  danger  of  decay  from  internal  congestion.  In  order  to 
get  around  that  condition,  to  build  up  and  keep  our  citizen- 
ship at  the  proper  standard,  it  is  necessary  to  get  that  citizen- 
ship expanded  and  distributed  properly  over  the  territory. 

Take  the  history  of  the  nations  that  have  failed,  the  his- 
tory of  those  that  have  gone  down  in  the  past,  and  each  of 
those,  when  they  have  failed,  have  failed  from  internal  decay; 


340  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

not  so  much  from  external  invasion.  Whenever  a  nation  be- 
comes metropolitan  in  a  majority,  right  then  and  there  is  a 
danger.  Today  that  old  phrase  "Westward  the  course  of  em- 
pire takes  its  way"  is  past.  We  have  reached,  so  far  as  un- 
explored and  undeveloped  country  is  concerned,  a  different 
plane,  and  at  the  Golden  Gate,  my  friends,  where  we  are 
standing  today,  is  the  break  of  the  western  advancement  of 
civilization.  We  are  standing  today  where  we  face  a  new 
problem;  a  new  scene  in  the  development  not  only  of  this 
country,  but  in  the  entire  world's  development;  and  our 
position  therein,  and  that  scene,  that  change,  comes  not  in 
conquering  new  territory,  but  in  making  possible  a  newer 
life;  a  different  life;  a  bigger  life;  a  broader  life;  a  stronger 
citizenship;  a  better  and  more  patriotic  citizenship,  within 
the  bounds  of  the  territory  that  we  have  already  gone  over. 
Now,  while  I  am  very  much  in  favor  of  defending  the  west- 
ern coast,  I  am  first  in  favor  of  building  within  the  interior, 
a  patriotism  and  a  citizenship  that  is  capable  of  being  trans- 
ported over  any  road,  whether  military,  national  or  local. 
That  is  necessary  first,  and  I  don't  care  whether  you  have  a 
good  road  or  a  bad  road,  if  you  have  not  a  citizenship  back 
of  it  built  up  on  the  right  kind  of  training;  the  right  kind 
of  nourishment;  the  right  kind  of  environment,  and  the  right 
kind  of  housing,  you  will  have  a  failure  when  it  comes  to  a 
time  of  need.  We  need  today  to  look  forward  to  the  ex- 
panding of  our  citizenship  over  a  broader  area,  taking  care 
of  the  congested  condition,  and  to  do  that  it  is  necessary 
to  develop  our  roads  in  every  section  of  this  country  at  the 
same  time  and  alike.  I  am  in  favor  of  the  road  up  and  down 
the  Pacific  coast.  I  am  in  favor  of  another  road  being  built 
a*  the  foot  of  the  Rockies,  on  the  eastern  side;  I  am  in  favor 
of.  one  down  the  central  Mississippi  valley,  and  I  am  in  favor 
of  one  down  the^Western  slope  of  the  Alleghenies,  if  it  is 
necessary;  and  one  down  the  Atlantic  slope,  one  around  the 
Southern  border,  one  across  the  center  and  one  across  the 
North.  (Applause.)  Let  us  ask  the  federal  government  to 
investigate  a  broad  idea  of  road  building;  investigate  the  idea 
of  building  a  class  of  roads  that  will  not  only  take  care  of 
the  military,  but  take  care  of  the  homes.  . 

MR.  STERN:  We  have  heard  a  good  deal  of  talk  here 
today  about  the  North,  the  South,  the  Middle  West.  Does  it 
occur  to  you  gentlemen  that  California,  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington are  in  these  United  States?  (Applause.)  It  is  like 
the  butterfly  and  the  toad.  I  speak  for  the  toad.  This  reso- 
lution I  am  heartily  in  favor  of.  It  asks  that  congress  con- 
sider a  policy,  not  the  building  of  a  specific  road  or  the  ex- 
penditure of  a  single  dollar,  but  that  it  consider  a  policy  care- 
fully and  judiciously.  Are  you  gentlemen  of  the  opposition 
so  afraid  of  what  the  United  States  will  say  in  answer  to  that 


PAN- AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  341 

consideration  that  you  would  stop  even  the  consideration? 
We  think  we  know  what  the  answer  will  be.  We  think  we 
are  vitally  interested.  We  stand  here  as  the  captains  of  the 
western  gate  of  this  country.  Some  of  you  smiled  a  little 
while  ago  when  we  were  talking  about  the  possibilities  of 
the  western  shore.  The  gentleman  from  Illinois  said  that 
in  time  of  war  we  will  lay  down  our  lives  and  shed  our  blood. 
Why,  of  course.  What  in  hell  is  the  use  of  that  sort  of 
thing?  Over  on  the  other  side  they  are  laying  down  their 
lives,  they  are  shedding  their  blood,  and-they  are  keeping  the 
stable  boys  and  cripples  back  to  breed  a  new  nation,  the  men 
who  weren't  fit  to  kill.  We  will  lay  down  our  lives  and  shed 
our  blood.  Yes,  but  pray  God  it  won't  come.  Is  there  any- 
thing fanciful  about  this  situation?  Here  we  'have  a  wide- 
spread western  border.  It  is  not  a  United  States  problem 
alone. 

I  join  with  the  gentleman  from  Canada.  This  Western 
continent  is  a  thing  by  itself,  a  theatre  of  something  bigger, 
broader  and  grander  than  anything  this  world  has  ever  seen. 
We  have  a  border  line  between  the  United  States  and  the 
Dominion  of  Canada  thirty-five  hundred  miles  long,  and  there 
i.s  not  a  gun  that  entire  distance  to  guard  that  border.  While 
these  two  countries  are  working  along  on  slightly  different 
lines  we  converge  at  the  same  place,  and  one  of  these  days, 
let  me  tell  the  gentleman  from  Manitoba,  we  will  make  you 
a  proposition  to  change  the  color  scheme  and  design  of  the 
banner  in  your  margin.  (Applause.)  We  stand  here  guard- 
ing and  defending  the  western  border  against  what?  Against 
the  other  half  of  the  world  across  there  that  is  yellow  that 
is  just  awakening  to  its  strength  and  seeking  and  looking 
towards  something.  It  was  only  a  few  years  ago  that  a  situ- 
ation developed  out  here  in  this  country  that  we  had  to 
handle.  You  gentlemen  across  the  way  couldn't  understand, 
because  you  were  too  far  away,  sending  out  wires,  then  im- 
ploring us.  Then  you  sent  the  great  secretary  of  state  out 
here  to  set  up  an  office  in  Sacramento  to  tell  us  what  to  do. 
It  took  a  governor  with  stamina,  and  a  patriotic  legislature, 
to  stand  here  and  say  to  you  people  in  the  East  who  didn't 
understand,  "We  know  our  own  business  and  as  captains  of 
the  Western  gate  we  are  going  to  care  for  it."  Now,  we  are 
here.  Our  lives,  our  fortunes  and  our  whole  future  are  here, 
and  we  think  we  understand  what  we  are  doing.  We  are 
asking  just  one  thing,  and  that  is  a  chance.  We  will  hold  the 
Western  coast  of  the  continent.  But  withhold  our  defenses, 
if  you  want  to,  and  even  though  you  hide  behind  the  moun- 
tain range  you  will  all  regret  it  bitterly.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Now,  gentlemen,  I  think 
we  have  discussed  this  matter  very  well.  I  would  like  to 
have  the  chairman  of  the  committee  on  resolutions  read  that 
resolution  all  over  again,  so  that  you  will  all  understand  it. 


342  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

MR.  TILLSON:  "Resolved,  that  the  Pan-American  Road 
Congress  recommend  to  the  congress  of  the  United  States  the 
advisability  of  investigating  the  necessity  of  building  a  hard- 
surfaced  highway  along  the  Pacific  Ocean  side,  from  Mexico 
to  British  Columbia,  to  be  used  as  a  military  and  commercial 
highway." 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  Mr.  President,  I  move  as  an  amend- 
ment, if  the  committee  will  accept  it,  to  substitute  "National" 
instead  of  "military  and  commercial." 

MR.  STERN:  Mr.  President,  that  is  the  heart  of  your 
amendment.  Don't  shy  at  militarism.  We  have  got  to  come 
to  it.  We  have  reached  the  day  in  this  United  States  when 
we  need  preparation.  Now  the  minute  that  you  take  from 
that  resolution  the  word  "military,"  then  you  take  the  heart 
from  your  resolution.  (Applause.) 

MR.  REED:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  don't  see  why  the  word 
"military"  should  be  such  a  bugbear  to  some  of  the  gentle- 
men in  this  convention. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Did  I  understand  you, 
Brother  Kenyon,  to  make  a  motion? 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  I  did;  if  consented  to  by  the  chair- 
man of  the  resolutions  committee. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD  (to  Mr,  Kenyon)  :  Did  you 
make  that  as  a  motion? 

MR.  KENYON:     I  did,  but  I  didn't  hear  it  seconded. 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  I  have  no  prejudice  against  the  word 
"military"  myself. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Then  you  have  no  objec- 
tion to  putting  the  question  just  as  it  is. 

MR.  KENYON:  I  have  no  objection  to  that.  It  was  only 
because  of  the  legal  question  that  was  raised  there  that  I 
suggested  that  thought. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  As  I  understand  it,  all 
questions  of  constitutionality  will  be  passed  upon  by  con- 
gress. If  the  word  "military"  is  in  conflict,  I  hardly  think 
that  congress  will  let  it  stay  there.  That  thing  will  be 
threshed  out.  The  onus  is  entirely  on  congress.  We  simply 
ask  that  they  set  aside  time  to  consider  this  matter.  Do  you 
all  understand  that? 

MR.  GASH:  Why  not  make  yoi.r  resolution  broad,  that 
the  congress  of  the  United  States  investigate  the  advisability 
of  establishing  a  system  of  national  highways  as  the  gentle- 
man here  from  West*  Virginia  suggested?  It  is  too  narrow. 
We  are  just  as  patriotic  to  California  as  you  are,  but  while 
we  are  patriotic  to  California,  we  are  patriotic  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi valley  and  to  the  Eastern  seaboard.  Make  the  in- 
vestigation general,  not  special. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  I  have  no  authority  under 
the  general  rule  which  has  been  adopted  at  all  our  congresses 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD  CONGRESS  343 

to  change  the  general  tenor  of  any  resolution  that  comes  to 
me,  except  it  has  been  passed  upon  regularly  and  presented 
to  me  in  a  resolution  from  the  committee.  I  would  have  to 
refer  it  back,  and  I  think  we  can  get  the  temper  of  all  the 
delegates  by  putting  this  to  a  vote.  If  it  is  voted  down,  then 
there  are  some  other  methods  to  be  pursued,  and  it  will  have 
to  be  referred  back  to  the  committee  on  resolutions. 

MR.  COBB:  I  wish  to  offer  a  suggestion  to  Mr.  Gash, 
that  if  he  would  draw  his  resolution,  I  have  no  doubt  it 
would  receive  the  unanimous  approval  of  this  meeting.  I 
think  the  word  "military"  should  remain  in  the  resolution. 

Mr.  GASH:  Make  your  resolution  read  that  the  congress 
of  the  United  States  investigate  as  to  the  establishment  of 
a  system  in  national  highways,  and  they  can  be  used  for 
military  or  any  other  purpose  that  the  government  of  the, 
United  States  wishes  to  use  them  for.  The  government  of  the 
United  States,  if  it  is  necessary,  can  use  the  railroads  for 
military  purposes;  it  can  use  everything  for  military  purposes 
if  it  is  necessary. 

MR.  EDDY:  The  government  has  the  right  to  appro- 
priate land  for  military  purposes,  and  that  can  be  their 
authority  for  that  proposition. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  If  you  gentlemen  will 
wait  just  a  moment,  until  we  get  this  matter  presented  to  the 
convention  intelligently,  so  that  we  can  understand  it,  then 
we  will  debate  it  from  that  standpoint,  but  I  had  understood 
that  we  had  gone  over  this  whole  matter  and  we  were 
ready  for  a  vote. 

MR.  JEWKES:  I  would  like  to  vote  on  this  question.  I 
would  like  to  favor  the  gentleman  from  Illinois  to  this  extent, 
that  we  ask  congress  to  establish  a  system  of  highways  and 
to  investigate  the  advisability  of  a  military  road  connecting 
Canada  on  the  north  and  Mexico  on  the  south,  along  the 
Pacific  coast.  I  would  like  to  vote  on  a  proposition  of  that 
kind. 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  I  would  like  to  say  one  word.  It  is 
pretty  hard  to  amend  the  report  of  the  committee.  You 
are  putting  words  into  their  mouths.  I  don't  believe  any 
amendment  is  proper  unless  adopted  by  that  body.  In  that 
case  I  think  it  would  be  better  to  refer  it  back  to  the  com- 
mittee. But  every  American  citizen  is  said  to  be  a  constitu- 
tional lawyer.  There  has  been  a  good  deal  said  on  this 
question,  which  reminds  me  of  a  decision  made  recently. 
A  man  was  sentenced  to  be  hanged  in  Portland,  and  he 
appealed  the  decision  to  the  supreme  court  of  the  state. 
The  time  was  set  for  his  execution.  The  supreme  court 
didn't  consider  the  case  until  after  the  man  was  hanged,  so 
the  hanging  was  void  in  effect,  but  it  didn't  restore  him 
to  life.  Now,  roads  have  been  built  by  the  government. 


344  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

They  are  building  them  now  in  Alaska.  The  roads  were 
brought  to  this  coast  in  that  manner.  A  railroad  was  built 
fifty  years  ago  and  Milton  Lathom  took  the  bonds  of  the 
Oregon-California  Railroad  and  sold  them  in  Germany. 
Afterwards  the  road  failed.  The  road  carried  out  its  part 
of  the  project,  but  now  we  are  trying  to  repudiate  our 
part.  We  want  to  take  them  away  from  them. 

DR.  PRATT:  I  think  the  main  question  of  dispute 
amongst  the  members,  especially  from  the  eastern  states,  and 
perhaps  the  middle  western  states,  and  some  from  the  west- 
ern states,  has  been  in  the  national  road  congresses  that 
have  been  held  earlier.  The  question  has  come  up  in  regard 
to  the  congress  recommending  or  adopting  resolutions  relat- 
ing solely  and  particularly  to  any  one  particular  highway,  as, 
for  instance,  in  the  east  when  they  tried  to  get  the  Lincoln 
highway  and  the  Jackson  highway.  Personally,  I -am  very 
much  in_favor  of  a  highway  such  as  is  recommended  here  in 
this  resolution.  I  am  personally  in  favor  of  it  from  a  mili- 
tary standpoint,  not  simply  because  I  belong  to  the  National 
Guard,  but  I  believe  we  could  remove  the  objections  that 
many  have  to  this  if  we  would  insert  in  the  last  portion 
of  that  resolution  a  few  words  so  that  the  resolution  would 
read  something  as  follows:  "Resolved,  that  the  Pan-American 
Road  Congress  recommend  to  the  congress  of  the  United 
States  the  advisability  of  investigating  the  necessity  of  build- 
ing a  hard-surfaced  highway  along  the  Pacific  Coast  from 
Mexico  to  British  Columbia;  and  other  national  highways 
to  be  used  as  military  and  commercial  highways."  I  sug- 
gest that  as  an  amendment. 

MR.   HILL:     I   second  the  amendment. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  Gentlemen,  you  have 
heard  the  amendment.  All  in  favor  of  the  amendment  as 
read,  please  say  aye.  Opposed,  no.  The  amendment  is  car- 
ried. (Applause.)  The  question  recurs  to  the  original  mo- 
tion as  amended.  All  in  favor  of  the  original  motion  as 
amended  please  say  aye.  Opposed,  ho.  The  report  of  the 
committee  is  adopted  and  the  resolution  passed.  (Applause.) 

MR.  TILLSON:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  don't  think  I  have  any 
more  bombshells.  "Resolved,  That  the  Pan-American  Road 
Congress  hereby  desires  to  express  its  thanks  for  the  cour- 
tesies extended  to  it  by  the  press  of  Oakland  and  San  Fran- 
cisco in  reporting  the  proceedings  of  the  congress,  so  that 
the  same  might  become  public." 

MR.  ROY:    I  move  the  adoption  of  the  resolution. 

MR.  KEN  YON:     I  second  the  motion: 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  All  those  in  favor  of  the 
adoption  of  this  resolution  will  say  aye;  opposed,  no.  The 
resolution  is  adopted,  and  we  will  have  the  next  one  read 
by  the  chairman  of  the  committee. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  345 

MR.  TILLSON:  "Resolved,  That  the  Pan-American  Road 
Congress  expresses  its  keen  appreciation  of  the  hearty  co- 
operation of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  city  of  Oak- 
land for  the  great  interest  it  has  taken  in  the  proceedings 
of  the  congress  and  the  general  cause  of  good  roads,  and 
the  many  courtesies  extended  to  the  delegates  of  the  con- 
gress, which  has  contributed  so  much  to  the  success  of  the 
meeting. 

JUDGE  ALBERT:     I  move  the  adoption  of  the  resolution. 

MR.  COBB:     I  second  the  motion. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  All  those  in  favor  of  the 
adoption  of  this  resolution  will  say  aye;  opposed,  no.  The 
resolution  is  unanimously  adopted. 

MR.  TILLSON:  "Resolved,  That  the  Pan-American 
Road  Congress  expresses  its  deep  gratification  for  the  cour- 
tesies and  assistance  given  this  convention  by  the  officials 
of  the  Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition." 

MR.  KENYON:     I  move  the  adoption  of  the  resolution. 

MR.  TERRACE:     I  second  the  motion. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  All  those  in  favor  of  the 
adoption  of  the  resolution  will  say  aye;  opposed,  no.  The 
motion  is  carried. 

MR.  TILLSON:  "Resolved,  That  the  Pan-American  Con- 
gress expresses  its  sincere  thanks  to  the  state  of  California 
and  the  county  of  Alameda,  the  cities  of  Oakland  and  San 
Francisco  for  the  courtesies  which  they  have  extended  to 
the  congress  and  which  have  been  especially  enjoyed  by  the 
members  in  attendance  at  this  convention. 

JUDGE  ALBERT:  I  move  the  adoption  of  the  resolution 
by  a  rising  vote. 

MR.   KENYON:     I   second  the  motion. 

CHAIRMAN  MAC  DONALD:  You  have  all  heard  the 
motion  that  this  resolution  be  adopted  by  a  rising  vote.  All 
in  favor  please  rise.  The  resolution  is  carried  unanimously. 

MR.  GASH:  I  move  that  when  we  adjourn  we  adjourn 
until  three  o'clock. 

MR.   HILL:     I  second  the  motion. 

THE  CHAIRMAN:  It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that 
we  adjourn  until  three  o'clock.  All  those  in  favor  please  say 
aye;  opposed,  no.  The  motion  is  carried,  and  we  will  adjourn 
until  three  o'clock. 

.      (Adjournment.) 


SEVENTH    SESSION— 3:00   P.   M. 

JAMES  H.  MAC  DONALD:  We  are  just  a  little  late  on 
the  program  time,  but  we  didn't  get  out  of  here  until  after 
two  o'clock  so  I  guess  we  will  be  pardoned  in  starting  an 
hour  later.  The  gentleman  who  will  preside  over  the  delib- 


346  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

crations  this  afternoon  brings  to  my  mind  early  memories 
of  the  days  in  which  the  bicycle  was  the  silent  steed.  I  can 
remember  what  a  time  I  had  in  my  state  where  the  bicycle 
young  men  wanted  to  have  me  build  a  bicycle  path  through 
the  state  eighteen  inches  wide  and  have  superintendents  look 
after  it.  What  a  time  I  had  with  those  boys  trying  to  get 
them  to  widen  out  the  eighteen  inches  to  eighteen  feet,  but 
we  finally  did  and  then  came  the  automobile.  I  remember 
delivering  an  address  in  Boston  in  the  Tremont  temple,  and 
my  subject  was  ''The  City  Street  and  the  Country  Road." 
I  devoted  my  entire  time  to  talking  about  the  wheel  and  the 
hoof,  the  two  destructive  elements  of  the  road.  I  never 
alluded — and  that  is  only  twelve  years  ago — I  never  alluded 
even  in  passing  to  the  word  automobile. 

Here  is  a  great  organization  which  has  grown  up  all  over 
the  United  States,  I  think  a  hundred  thousand  members, 
Brother  Wilson,  in  forty  odd  states,  a  tremendous  force; 
something  to  be  reckoned  with.  Now,  I  know  that  we  can 
have  an  interesting  session.  You  know  all  of  us  commission- 
ers have  gotten  a  little  awry  sometimes  with  the  automo- 
bile and  a  good  deal  of  that  was  due  to  the  fact  that  we  didn't 
know  very  much  about  the  automobile.  But  we  are  getting 
so  now  it  is  not  a  rich  man's  toy;  it  is  the  poor  man's  friend. 
I  know  you  will  all  be  glad  to  have  the  president  of  that 
great  organization  of  a  hundred  thousand  members  scat- 
tered through  forty-one  states  address  you  this  afternoon 
and  be  your  presiding  officer.  Take  all  the  time  you  want 
until  the  rest  of  them  come  in,  and  tell  us  a  little  about  the 
industry.  (Applause.) 

(John  A.  Wilson  took  the  Chair.) 

Address  by   Chairman   Wilson 

I  don't  know  much  about  the  industry,  but  the  growth  of 
it  has  been  wonderful.  When  I  sat  over  at  the  fair  yester- 
day I  heard  the  gentlemen  throw  bouquets  at  themselves 
talking  about  what  they  had  done  in  their  organizations  for 
good  roads,  and  when  they  were  organized  they  were  chil- 
dren. When  they  were  organized  we  were  old  men  in  the 
business.  I  think  that  the  organization  today  of  the  Amer- 
ican Automobile  Association  has  done  more  as  a  booster  for 
good  roads  than  all  the  state  organizations  that  have  ever 
been  formed,  for  this  reason:  We  are  for  any  person  or 
any  body  of  men  in  any  section  of  the  United  States  that 
will  build  a  mile  of  road.  Now,  we  don't  care  how  that  mile 
of  road  is  built.  Of  course,  the  taxpayers  must  look  after 
the  idea  of  getting  a  dollar's  worth  of  road  for  every  dollar 
they  put  in.  Another  thing  we  are  in  favor  of:  We  are  in 
favor  of  this  national  government  of  ours  giving  the  same 
aid  to  the  farmers  that  they  give  to  the  steamboat  men.  They 
have  the  same  right  to  build  highways  across  this  country, 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  347 

up  and  down  and  east  and  west,  wherever  they  build  them, 
as  they  have  to  improve  waterways.  We  are  for  good  roads. 
Our  organization  comprises  forty-one  states;  over  seven 
hundred  clubs,  a  voluntary  organization.  Everybody  in  it 
is  pulling  for  the  best  that  there  is  in  the  game.  Another 
thing  we  are  in  favor  of:  After  the  roads  are  built  we 
are  in  favor  of  the  safe  and  sane  use  of  those  roads.  We  are 
opposed,  and  bitterly  opposed,  to  using  the  highways  of  the 
different  states  for  speed  exhibitions;  for  the  trying  out  of 
cars  driving  from  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh,  three  hundred 
and  four  miles,  nine  hours.  "Get  out  of  the  road.  The  last 
car  I  met  kept  me  back." 

Our  object  in  good  roads  building  is  to  enable  the  farmer 
in  our  state  to  get  to  market.  It  is  not  like  California,  not 
like  Florida,  where  they  are  not  troubled  by  weather,  for 
usually  with  us  in  Pennsylvania  we  are  tied  up  about  six 
months  in  the  year  so  that  we  can't  move  a  wheel  unless 
we  have  got  something  under  us;  and  the  same  is  true  in 
New  York  state.  We  are  trying  to  build  roads  that  will  en- 
able the  farmer  of  the  United  States  to  get  to  the  market 
twelve  months  in  the  year  instead  of  six  months  in  the  year; 
with  twice  the  load  in  half  the  time.  It  is  costing  the  peo- 
ple of  the  United  States  over  a  thousand  million  dollars  every 
year, — every  three  hundred  sixty-five  days, — for  the  lack  of 
good  transportation.  It  is  costing  you,  and  you,  and  you. 
You  are  paying  for  it  on  your  table;  you  are  paying  for  it  in 
wear  and  tear,  in  everything. 

Now,  organization  is  a  great  thing.  That  was  shown  last 
year  when  there  was  an  effort  being  made,  you  remember, 
when  they  tried  to  tax  gasoline  and  the  automobiles  through 
the  national  congress.  Well,  there  was  a  hue  and  cry  that 
went  up  from  the  farmers.  Eighty  per  cent  of  the  automo- 
biles that  are  sold  in  the  United  States  today  are  sold  to 
farmers,  and  it  is  not  a  rich  man's  car.  The  farmer  uses 
it  during  the  day  for  his  work  and  on  Sunday  he  takes  his 
family  for  a  ride.  He  has  two  bodies  for  his  little  car.  A 
little  Ford  is  all  right.  Henry  Ford  has  done  a  great  deal 
for  this  world  of  ours  and  all  these  jokes  about  the  Ford 
he  enjoys  as  much  as  anybody;  but  we  have  to  guard  the 
roads  after  we  have  them. 

I  had  supposed  that  the  worst  traffic  laws  that  I  had  ever 
run  across  were  in  Paris.  I  supposed  that  Paris  was  the 
only  city  in  the  world  where  the  rights  of  the  users  of  the 
sidewalk,  the  people  who  are  compelled  to  walk,  were  not 
ssfe-guarded,  until  I  struck  San  Francisco.  I  will  tell  you 
that  the  traffic  regulations  in  San  Francisco  would  make  a 
Frenchman  laugh.  I  never  have  seen  anything  like  it,  such 
an  utter  disregard  of  the  rights  of  everybody;  and  where 


34S  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

as  much  latitude  is  given  to  drivers, — all  kinds  of  machines,— 
as  right  over  here  in  San  Francisco. 

I  am  not  timid.  I  am  not  timid  about  riding  any  place. 
I  will  go  just  as  fast  as  anybody  can  turn  the  wheel,  if  the 
road  is  safe,  if  we  don't  come  to  cross  roads  and  don't  in- 
terfere with  any  person  except  ourselves.  But  where  we 
interfere  with  the  rights  of  the  other  people  we  haven't  the 
right  to  do  it;  but  I  tell  you  that  I  have  my  toes  dug  in 
the  bottom  of  the  taxicab  over  here  in  San  Francisco  every 
minute  that  I  am  in  it.  It  is  a  shame,  and  I  wish  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Automobile  Club*  of  California  could  listen  to 
it.  Billy  Hewson  is  one  of  these  men  who  will  talk  of  the 
wonderful  things  that  they  do  in  California  and  they  do  in 
the  West,  but  get  busy  and  see  to  it  that  things  are  properly 
run  and  that  the  rights  of  the  people  are  safeguarded. 

Over  at  the  convention  yesterday  we -had  the  gentleman 
who  represented  the  Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition 
tell  us  about  the  four  hundred  million  dollars  that  was  spent 
building  the  Panama  canal;  but  four  hundred  million  dollars 
were  spent  for  building  up  San  Francisco.  In  1913  and  1914 
there  was  spent  in  the  United  States  $408,000,000  for  im- 
proved roads,  and  we  built  in  those  two  years  more  miles 
of  road  than  they  have  got  in  that  great  republic  of  France 
that  everybody  talks  about.  They  talk  about  the  improved 
roads  over  there.  You  start  in  at  Buffalo  and  go  to  Boston, 
down  around  the  Cape  Cod,  along  the  sound  to  New  York, 
back  up  to  Albany  and  up  through  the  Adirondacks  to  the 
King's  Highway  to  Montreal,  and  you  have  got  the  most 
perfect  system  of  highways  in  the  world  today,  bar  none.  1 
don't  care  what  country  you  go  in.  I  think  I  have  spent 
as  much  time  in  foreign  countries  as  anybody.  I  have 
crossed  the  ocean  seventy-six  times  in  the  last  twenty-two 
ysars.  I  was  over  there  this  spring.  I  wish  I  could  have 
stayed  longer  because  people  were  very  busy. 

But  they  do  things  over  here  better  than  they  do  any  other 
place.  We  build  better  cars  here  than  they  do  anywhere 
else.  We  have  got  more  brains  here  than  they  have  got  any 
place  else.  But  unless  we  all  get  together,  this  organization 
we  have  here  today,  bringing  people  from  all  over  the 
United  States;  unless  we  go  down  and  knock  at  the  gates 
of  congress  with  one  proposition  there  will  not  be  the  force 
and  influence  there  might  be. 

The  people  from  our  part  of  the  country  are  too  prone 
to  think  that  California  is  like  Pennsylvania  or  like  New 
York.  New  York  has  issued  one  hundred  million  dollars 
of  bonds  for  good  roads.  Proportionate  sums  have  been 
issued  in  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  Jersey,  and  they 
are  working  in  Maine  to  the  extent  of  the  money  that  they 
have  there.  They  have  issued  or  have  authorized  the  issue 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  349 

of  eighteen  million  dollars  in  California.  Now,  California  is 
as  large  as  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  Massachusetts, 
Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Penn- 
sylvania, Delaware  and  nearly  all  of  Maryland  put  together. 
They  expect  to  build  a  system  of  highways  in  a  territory 
like  this, — an  empire  you  might  say, — for  eighteen  million 
dollars,  where  that  wouldn't  build  the  roads  in  the  little 
state  of  Connecticut.  Now,  there  has  got  to  be  aid  from 
some  place.  On  the  north  they  have  two  states,  Oregon 
and  Washington.  When  it  comes  to  size  it  would  make  my 
great  state  of  Pennsylvania,  and  New  York,  look  like  a 
plugged  nickel;  they  would  hardly  fill  up  a  corner.  Texas, 
it  would  take  five  states  like  New  York  to  equal  its  size, 
c«nd  then  we  kick  about  the  government  of  the  United  States 
building  a  highway  here.  Let  them  build  two  highways. 
Let  them  build  three. 

Some  years  ago  when  Uncle  Joe  Cannon  was  speaker  of 
the  house,  I  went  down  there  to  try  to  sound  the  sentimenf 
and  see  what  we  could  do  about  getting  an  appropriation. 
In  those  days  the  speaker  of  the  house  was  boss,  and  what 
he  said  went  and  what  he  allowed  other  people  to  say  went. 
I  was  back  in  the  speaker's  room  and  I  told  him  what  I 
\vanted  to  talk  to  him  about.  He  put  that  cigar  up  in  the 
corner  of  his  mouth,  "Why,"  he  says,  "Heavenly  Father, 
John,  if  you  automobile  people  get  your  fingers  in  the  treas- 
ury of  the  United  States  the  first  thing  we  know  you  will 
have  it  in  to  the  elbow  and  then  you  will  have  it  in  to 
the  shoulder."  I  said,  "Uncle  Joe,  that  is  just  exactly  what 
we  propose  to  do,  and  when  we  get  it  in  to  the  shoulder  we 
are  going  to  keep  it  there."  We  have  the  same  rights,  the 
same  constitutional  rights,  in  this  great  big  government  of 
ours,  to  build  highways  as  they  have  to  put  up  levees  and 
open  up  streams  in  the  United  States  for  the  use  of  steam- 
boats." 

When  the  President  of  the  United  States  was  governor 
cf  New  Jersey,  at  the  meeting  of  the  American  Automobile 
Association  in  Atlantic  City,  he  made  one  statement,  and 
it  is  very  true,  he  says,  "It  doesn't  do  the  United  States 
very  much  good  to  make  appropriations  of  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars  to  enable  the  farmer  to  double  the 
output  of  the  farm  unless  the  same  government  gives  him 
some  way  of  getting  that  produce  to  market."  Now,  if  that 
isn't  sense  I  would  like  to  know  what  is. 

Now,  if  you  will  all  pull  for  one  thing,  we  will  all  puli 
for  roads.  We  don't  care  where  they  are;  we  don't  care 
where  you  get  them.  Why,  up  here  in  Oregon  they  raised 
by  taxation  in  Multnomah  county,  where  Portland  is  situated, 
$750,000  by  direct  taxation,  and  they  put  that  $750,000  in  a 
roadway  from  the  Dalles  down  to  Portland.  They  have 


350  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

$75,000  worth  of  concrete.  Up  in  Montana  I  rode  over  some 
roads  with  Matthewson  just  to  see  what  the  roads  were, 
and  what  they  have  done  or  have  been  able  to  do  in  that 
state.  They  took  me  for  a  little  ride  around  in  one  car  in 
the  morning  and  I  had  to  get  a  different  driver  in  the  after- 
noon because  I  guess  it  was  too  fast.  We  drove  over  121 
miles  of  as  pretty  surfaced  roads  as  I  have  ever  driven 
over  in  my  life.  The  roads  were  twenty  to  twenty-eight 
feet  wide.  We  drove  121  miles,  made  three  stops,  to  see 
the  elephant  cross  the  river,  one  stop  at  the  fish  hatcheries 
and  we  made  that  run  in  five  minutes  over  three  hours. 
Now,  those  roads  cost  them  in  Montana, — with  eight-hour 
days,  four  dollars  a  day, — cost  them  less  than  five  hundred 
dollars  a  mile.  They  have  got  a  first-class  road  material 
up  there.  They  use  a  disintegrated  granite.  They  have  a 
double  scraper  that  they  run  over  the  road. 

MR.  MAC  DONALD:  God  built  the  road  and  they  put 
it  in  shape. 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  But  that  road  hadn't  been 
touched  that  spring.  There  was  not  a  grade  on  that  road 
c;  over  five  per  cent.  I  will  tell  you  another  thing  that  we 
have  done.  Yosemite  Park  has  been  opened  for  automobiles. 
Yellowstone  Park  was  opened  the  first  day  of  August  for 
the  use  of  automobiles.  Over  five  hundred  automobiles  went 
through  Yellowstone  Park  last  month  and  it  took  us  two 
years  to  convince  the  department  of  the  interior  that  the 
two  million  users  of  automobiles  in  the  United  States  had 
some  rights  they  were  bound  to  respect.  The  whole  thing 
hinged  upon  the  idea  that  by  permitting  automobiles  to  go 
through  the  park  the  people  wouldn't  stay  long  enough, 
would  not  use  the  wagons,  and  so  on. 

Over  at  Old  Faithful  Inn  the  other  evening  a  gentleman 
was  giving  a  lecture  on  Yellowstone  Park.  One  of  the  pic- 
tures thrown  on  the  canvas  was  a  stage  leaving  Old  Faith- 
ful Inn.  He  made  the  statement  that  that  was  the  only 
kind  of  transportation  authorized  by  the -government  of  the 
United  States  to  be  used  in  Yellowstone  Park.  I  came 
pretty  nearly  getting  up  in  the  audience  and  saying  some- 
thing to  him.  I  haven't  the  best  temper,  but  I  waited  until 
they  were  all  out,  and  then  I  asked  him  what  he  meant  by 
it.  "Oh,"  he  says,  "they  are  experimenting."  I  says,  "They 
opened  the  park  the  first  of  August  to  automobiles,"  and 
to  that  he  replied  that  they  were  experimenting  to  see  how 
it  would  turn  out.  I  said,  "Are  you  interested  in  the  hotel, 
wagons  or  horses  that  are  in  there."  He  didn't  reply  to 
that.  I  asked  him  if  he  was  a  gambler,  if  he  wanted  to  bet. 
T  wanted  to  bet  him  that  by  this  time  next  year  there  would 
not  be  a  horse-drawn  vehicle  in  Yellowstone  Park.  I  be- 
lieve that  the  receipts  of  the  hotel  will  be  increased.  In 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  351 

other  places  in  this  big  country  of  ours  they  have  stopped 
the  automobile,  but  we  have  gotten  in.  I  tell  you  we  have 
got  an  organization. 

A  year  ago  when  they  attempted  to  put  a  government  tax 
on  automobiles  and  gasoline  we  had  that  killed  at  Wash- 
ington before  other  people  got  busy,  before  they  knew  any- 
thing about  it.  We  had  the  promise  that  it  would  not  go 
through.  Of  course,  it  doesn't  amount  to  very  much,  but 
there  are  a  whole  lot  of  us,  and  in  that  state  of  Pennsylvania 
of  ours  when  we  start  to  do  anything  we  do  it  because 
they  are  afraid  of  us.  We  use  our  organization  at  the  ballot; 
v/e  use  it  every  place  we  want  to. 

I  remember,  as  a  boy,  listening  in  my  home  town  to  -<\ 
political  speaker  in  the  court  house.  He  was  a  good  talker. 
I  don't  know  whether  he  was  a  Republican  or  a  Democrat, 
but  he  was  very  much  disgruntled  evidently  with  Pennsyl- 
vania farmers,  and  he  old  this  story.  He  said  he  had  a  dream 
and  he  dreamt  he  went  to  hell,  and  before  he  was  ushered 
into  his  place  of  everlasting  torment,  His  Satanic  Majesty 
sent  for  a  guide  to  show  him  every  place,  and  finally  he 
came  to  a  room,  and  said  he  couldn't  see  the  end  of  it.  In 
courses  there  was  a  series  of  hooks  such  as  you  see  in  a 
rr.eat  shop  and  on  each  one  of  these  hooks  was  a  cadaver. 
He  looked  at  them  and  then  turned  around  to  his  guide  and 
asked,  "Are  these  people  up  here?"  The  guide  said,  "Oh,  yes, 
they  are  Pennsylvania  farmers.  They  are  so  damn  green 
we  have  got  to  dry  them  before  they  will  burn."  (Laughter 
and  applause.) 

The  questions  to  be  taken  up  this  afternoon  for  discus- 
sion are  "Motor  Traffic:  Its  Development,  Trend  and  Ef- 
fects." The  paper  was  to  have  been  read  by  Mr.  Elmer 
Thompson,  secretary  of  the  Automobile  Club  of  America. 
He  renigged.  Warren  Gould,  chairman  of  the  Automobile 
Club  of  Seattle,  Washington,  was  to  open  the  discussion,  but 
I  understand  he  is  not  here. 

MR.  MAC  DONALD:  He  has  sent  in  a  paper  which 
will  be  read  by  title  and  printed  in  the  proceedings.  Mr. 
Willoughby  will  read  it  by  title. 

MR.  WILLOUGHBY:  "Motor  Traffic;  Its  Development, 
Trend  and  Effects,"  discussion  by  Warren  Gould,  Seattle. 


Motor    Traffic,    Its    Development,    Trend    and    Effects 

By  A.  WARREN  GOULD 
Chairman  Good  Roads  Committee,  Seattle  Automobile  Club,  Seattle,  Wash. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Members  of  the  Convention  and  Visitors: 

The  subject  assigned  me  appears  very  large  for  one  not 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  or  sale  of  Motor  Trucks;  there- 
fore, if  I  treat  it  in  a  general  way,  without  definite  statistics, 
and  leave  the  latter  to  be  supplied  by  those  who  follow  in 


352  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

the  general  discussion,  you  will  please  bear  in  mind  that  I 
am  only  an  observer. 

Those  of  you  who  can  remember  the  beginning  of  railroad 
building  in  this  country,  will  readily  recall  the  little  locomo- 
tive and  crudely  constructed  box  cars,  first  engaged  in  trans- 
porting freight,  and  no  doubt  have  marked  the  wonderful 
evolution  which  has  followed,  until  today  we  look  with  ad- 
miration upon  those  giant  moguls,  samples  of  which  are  on 
exhibition  across  the  bay. 

Hauling  cars  that  are  models  of  convenience,  with  every 
known  device  for  safeguarding  and  protecting  goods  in 
transit,  they  cross  and  recross  the  continent  without  excit- 
ing wonder,  and  serve  the  people,  making  possible  our  large 
cities  of  the  interior,  which  otherwise  would  not  exist. 

I  make  reference  to  this  phase  of  our  transportation  de- 
velopment, that  you  may  the  more  readily  understand  that 
what  I  dare  to  predict  for  the  Motor  Truck  in  the  future,  is 
not  a  pipe  dream,  born  of  a  large  imagination  running  wild, 
in  the  high  gear,  gas  full  on,  spark  advanced  and  with  a  de- 
fective steering  gear;  but  a  parallel  that  can  be  grasped,  and 
by  a  progressive  program  brought  to  fruition. 

Unlike  railroad  building,  which  in  this  country,  has  been 
left  almost  entirely  to  private  enterprise,  no  new  govern- 
mental policy  is  required  to  construct  highways  for  the  Mo- 
tor Truck,  for  with  the  exception  of  a  few  toll  roads,  now 
almost  a  thing  of  the  past,  public  highways  have  been  built 
by  the  people,  and  if  as  we  still  believe  and  trust,  we  are, 
as  spoken  by  the  immortal  Lincoln  a  "government  of  the 
people,  by  the  people,  for  the  people,"  we  should  go  forward 
pressing  for  greater  development,  even  to  the  extent  of  the 
semi-military  highway,  if  you  please,  constructed  by  our 
Federal  Government  for  the  benefit  of  the  Nation. 

With  a  proper  conception  of  our  possibilities  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  high  purpose  of  the  determined  men  and  women 
represented  in  this  convention,  I  predict  that  the  Motor 
Truck  within  the  next  decade  will  play  as  important  a  part 
in  transportation  as  the  railroads. 

In  support  of  this  prediction,  I  can  safely  state  that  the 
Motor  Truck  has,  since  its  introduction,  in  the  past  ten  years, 
developed  to  double  the  degree  of  efficiency  as  did  the  rail- 
ways in  the  same  length  of  time  after  their  coming  into  use; 
and  today  its  use  is  making  possible  development  in 
remote  places  that  would  otherwise  be  impossible. 

In  automobile  tours  covering  the  Western  portion  of  our 
country,  I  have  often  met  on  the  road  caravans  of  horse- 
drawn  vehicles,  and  though  their  equipment  was  modern, 
their  pace  reasonably,  and  to  a  certain  degree  rapid,  when 
compared  with  travel  in  India  or  China  in  olden  times,  how 
quickly  this  is  changing  through  the  introduction  of  the 
Motor  Truck 


PAN-AMERICAX  ROAD   CONGRESS  353 

Alany  vexatious  problems  confronting  the  officials  of  our 
large  cities  have  been,  and  are  being  solved  by  its  use.  New 
York  City  wrestled  for  some  time  with  congestion  of  traffic 
on  its  water  front,  and  only  a  short  time  ago  contemplated 
changes  in  streets,  by  widening,  etc.,  which  would  have  cost 
millions  of  dollars.  While  figuring  ways  and  means  for 
making  the  improvements,  along  came  the  Motor  Truck, 
which,  due  to  its  efficiency,  eliminated  the  congestion  and 
rendered  unnecessary  this  enormous  expense  and  increase  of 
the  taxpayers'  burden. 

The  great  and  commendable  effort  being  made  to  improve 
the  milk  supply  in  cities,  is  aided  more  by  the  Motor  Truck 
than  by  any  other  agency.  If  I  may  be  pardoned  for  localiz- 
ing, the  City  of  Seattle,  where  infant  mortality  is  lower  than 
in  any  other  city  in  the  world,  recently  put  into  effect  new 
regulations  and  requirements  which  would  be  impossible  of 
enforcement  without  the  Motor  Truck. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact,  that  almost  every  fire  that  destroys 
our  buildings  could  be  extinguished  by  hand  apparatus,  if 
reached  within  five  minutes  from  time  of  starting;  and  this 
is  now  being  accomplished,  to  a  large  degree,  by  use  of  the 
Motor  Truck.  Buildings  just  outside  the  limits  of  cities 
using  motor  truck  fire  apparatus,  receive  lower  insurance 
rates.  Insurance  companies  are  maintaining,  at  their  own 
expense,  private  motor  trucks,  capable  of  great  speed, 
equipped  with  fire-fighting  implements  to  protect  lives  and 
valuables  in  buildings  insured  by  them. 

At  the  present  time,  when  conditions  tend  to  discourage 
investment  in  railroads,  the  Motor  Truck  is  coming  to  the 
fore  and  settling  troublesome  problems  of  transportation. 
One  of  the  many  instances  of  this  is  found  in  Nevada,  where 
a  rich  copper  mine  twenty-five  miles  from  Currie,  abandoned 
fifteen  years  ago,  owing  to  the  prohibitive  cost  of  mule-team 
hauling,  is  now  profitably  operated  by  use  of  the  Motor 
Truck. 

From  the  foregoing  it  must  be  patent  to  everybody,  that 
the  Motor  Truck  is  a  real  factor  to  be  reckoned  with,  but 
like  a  great  ocean-going  freight  ship,  with  no  sea  to  sail 
upon,  it  may  count  for  little,  unless  our  government  con- 
structs highways  over  which  it  can  be  operated. 

The  cities,  with  their  brick  paved'streets,  furnished  the  op- 
portunity for  demonstrating  its  success;  and  the  counties  and 
states  have  contributed  through  paved  highways.  The  broad 
sea  of  commercial  achievement  cannot  be  one  of  mud,  but 
must  be  ribbons  of  permanently  constructed  roads,  on  con- 
crete foundations,  paved  with  brick,  as  are  the  roads  of 
Western  Washington  (second  to  none)  capable  of  sustaining 
great  loads,  stretching  from  city  to  city  and  state  to  state, 
from  ocean  to  ocean,  and  northern  boundary  to  southern 


354  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

boundary  of  the  entire  country.  Such  highways  are  possi- 
ble, and  will  prove  profitable,  when  ignorance  can  be  sup- 
planted by  intelligence,  and  wastefulness  by  thrift. 

The  Pacific  Coast  is  in  sore  need,  and  the  same  is  no  doubt 
true  of  other  sections,  of  a  permanent  paved  highway  from 
the  Canadian  border  to  Mexico,  located  along  the  shore, 
where  it  will  be  free  from  frost  or  snow  and  can  be  used 
every  day  in  the  year. 

The  European  war  has  demonstrated  another  use  for  the 
Motor  Truck,  which  God  forbid  our  country  should  ever 
need  to  follow.  But  should  such  a  contingency  arise,  is  it 
not  better  to  consider,  when  planning  means  of  defense,  high- 
ways calculated  to  provide  practical  means  of  transportation 
in  time  of  war,  while  unlike  the  costly  navy  with  no  com- 
mercial value,  they  would  prove  profitable  in  time  of  peace; 
and  instead  of  an  increasing  burden,  would  tend  to  develop 
and  bring  greater  peace  and  prosperity  to  our  people? 

In  conclusion,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  state,  that  in  the  counties 
of  California  alone,  through  which  a  Pacific  Coast  road 
would  lie,  there  are  natural  resources,  undeveloped,  that 
would  warrant  the  expenditure  of  double  its  cost  for  the  en- 
tire length  from  border  to  border. 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  The  next  gentleman  is  Mr. 
Chanslor,  San  Francisco.  Is  he  present?  Now,  if  there 
is  any  gentleman  here  who  would  like  to  be  heard  on  that 
question  I  would  like  to  hear  from  him,  because  there  is 
an  awful  lot  to  be  said. 

MR.  KEN  YON:  The  time  is  short  and  I  think  there  is 
one  matter  in  this  connection  that  ought  to  be  presented.  I 
will  give  a  little  outline  of  it  and  if  they  care  to  after- 
wards when  they  come  to  print  the  proceedings,  and  want 
me  to,  I  will  prepare  a  little  more  definite  statement  than 
I  can  make  in  the  short  time  that  we  have  got  now.  But 
I  will  give  a  little  outline  of  a  thought  that  I  had. 

I  looked  over  this  program  from  one  end  to  the  other.  I 
was  personally  amazed  to  find  that  there  is  no  suggestion  of 
\vhat  we  might  call  "safety  first"  in  this  great  congress. 
There  is  no  paper,  there  is  no  place  for  discussion,  unless 
it  is  at  this  place  where  we  are  discussing  it.  You  can't 
but  be  apprised,  of  course,  of  the  appalling  number  of  ac- 
cidents that  are  occurring  in  the  streets  and  on  our  highways 
every  year.  This  morning's  paper  contained  an  account  of 
two  accidents  and  yesterday's  paper  contained  another,  and 
every  paper  contains  one  or  more,  and  it  is  not  only  that 
way  here,  but  it  is  that  way  all  over  the  country.  What 
are  we  doing  to  stop  it?  I  was  in  London  at  the  road  con- 
gress, two  or  three  years  ago,  and  after  the  congress  was 
over,  and  while  I  was  still  there,  a  parliamentary  committee 


PAN-AMERICAN   ROAD   CONGRESS  355 

made  a  report  on  this  question  of  safety.  They  had  been 
studying  the  question  for  two  years,  making  extensive  ex- 
aminations into  the  number  of  deaths  and  accidents.  There 
had  been  prior  to  that  time  no  one  to  gather  statistics  about 
that.  They  discovered  that  in  the  city  of  London  alone 
125,000  people  had  been  killed  and  injured  in  the  last  eight 
years.  They  got  that  information  only  from  the  police  and  * 
ether  reports,  and  many  were  not  recorded.  That  is  just 
in  the  city  of  London,  not  to  speak  of  those  that  occur  out- 
side. We  have  no  means  in  this  country  of  doing  it,  but  they 
immediately  commenced  to  take  notice  of  this  tremendous 
loss  of  life.  We  get  awfully  wrought  up  if  some  few  people 
are  killed  on  board  a  ship,  but  here  they  are  being  killed  by 
the  dozens  and  hundreds  every  day  and  we  take  it  as  a  sort 
of  matter  of  course.  Now,  it  seems  i  to  me  that  the  road 
men,  men  interested  in  roads,  should  be  profoundly  inter- 
ested in  it,  and  should  do  something  on  this  subject.  It 
seems  to  me  that  they  ought  to  commence  studying  what 
can  be  done  and  what  should  be  done.  Congressman  Rainey 
ran  through  papers  and  one  thing  and  another  discovered 
last  year,  as  he  said  in  his  speech  in  congress,  over  two 
thousand  people  killed  in  less  than  six  months,  and  yet  we 
go  on  thinking  nothing  about  it.  Is  it  not  appalling?  Yet 
some  way  or  other  we  don't  do  much  in  regard  to  it.  Now, 
I  just  throw  that  out  as  a  suggestion,  and  it  seems  to  me 
that  it  ought  .to  be  in  every  road  convention.  There  ought 
to  be  a  safety  first  program  or  a  day  or  a  time  for  discussing 
that  subject,  and  we  ought  to  do  something. 

Now,  what  could  we  do?  In  the  first  place,  I  ask,  why 
should  not  every  state  that  has  a  highway  department  have 
a  "safety  first"  commissioner,  we  will  say?  We  will  call 
him  a  Public  Safety  Commissioner;  someone  upon  whom 
we  can  place  the  responsibility  for  looking  after  these  things, 
someone  who  will  do  something.  The  engineer  is  busy  with 
his  duties;  the  commissioners  are  busy  with  theirs  and 
unless  you  concentrate  that  responsibility  in  the  hands  of 
some  one  man  who  will  study  it  and  work  "it  out,  you  are 
not  going  to  get  any  results.  What  could  he  do?  He  could 
get  statistics;  he  ought  to  have  police  powers,  and  other 
powers  too.  In  that  connection  he  could  make  rules  and 
regulation's.  Now,  in  England,  if  a  road  is  going  to  be 
closed,  or  if  there  is  going  to  be  a  big  parade  on  a  certain 
joad,  their  public  commissioner  has  the  right  to  make  rules 
and  regulations  that  can  be  enforced  and  punishment  ad- 
ministered if  they  are  violated.  Now,  a  commissioner  here 
ought  to  have  powers  of  that  sort.  He  could  also  have  the 
power  of  saying  in  every  contract  that  is  let  for  public  work, 
that  there  should  be  some  provision  made  for  safety  signs 
where  they  are  needed,  or  for  safety  fences  where  they  are 
needed.  That  is  done  in. some  states. 


356  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

Down  in  Mr.  MacDonald's  state  where  there  was  a  dan- 
gerous place  on  a  part  of  the  road  they  put  in  the  contract 
that  it  was  a  part  of  the  road  that  a  fence  should  be  built, — 
a  good  substantial  fence  that  would  save  damages.  But 
v;hy  shouldn't  it  be  in  every  one,  whether  it  is  Connecticut, 
New  York,  California,  or  Oregon  or  what  other  state?  We 
are  not  doing  it,  and  dangerous  places  are  at  every  hand. 
Signs  at  crossings.  Why,  the  railroad  companies  say,  "We 
put  up  railroad  crossing  signs,"  but  remember  that  it  is 
many  times  within  ten  feet  of  the  place  where  the  train 
crosses.  They  have  no  powers  at  present  to  require  signs. 
It  may  be  there  happens  to  be  a  bunch  of  vegetation  or 
trees  or  bushes  to  obstruct  the  view.  There  is  no  one 
v/ith  the  duty  or  power  to  cut  that  down,  or  to  widen  the 
corner,  or  anything  of  that  sort.  Ought  that  not  to  be  a 
part  of  it?  The  placing  of  these  danger  signs,  why  isn't  it 
put  in  the  hands  of  the  commissioner,  the  engineer,  who 
has  studied  that  road  and  knows  it  better  than  some  chance 
advertiser;  or  it  may  be  the  automobile  association  who 
goes  out  voluntarily  and  puts  up  a  sign.  Why  isn't  that 
just  as  much  a  part  of  the  road  as  the  road  bed  itself? 

I  just  throw  that  out  as  a  suggestion  because  I  am 
running  "along.  What  are  the  causes  of  most  of  these  ac- 
C'dents  that  they  found  over  there?  They  found  out  first 
that  the  negligence  of  the  pedestrians  crossing  the  road 
was  one  of  the  great  causes.  Just  think  of  it.  I  rode 
twenty-five  hundred  miles  over  the  highway  in  Great 
Britain  and  in  that  entire  time  I  crossed  the  railroad  but 
five"  times  at  grade.  It  was  either  over  or  under,  and  for 
those  five  times  someone  had  to  come  out  and  open  the 
gate  before  we  could  get  across.  This  was  to  insure  our 
safety.  And  yet  here  are  streets  and  roads  that  are  on 
level  grade  crossings  all  the  time  and  we  pay  no  attention  to 
it.  We  put  a  policeman  at  grade  crossings  on  our  busy 
streets  and  then  not  one  of  us  pays  much  attention  to  him. 
Why?  Because  they  haven't  got  any  other  powers  than  to 
direct  this  way  or  that,  and  they  don't  punish  if  we  fail  to 
follow  their  direction.  In  Paris  they  passed  a  regulation 
providing  that  the  man  who  was  run  over  was  to  be  ar- 
rested instead  of  the  driver.  I  thought  that  was  a  rather 
strange  thing.  I  went  down  to  what  we  might  call  the 
Office  of  Public  Roads  to  enquire  about  it,  and  he  said, 
"Well,  think  of  this.  That  man  who  was  driving  that 
vehicle,  maybe  it  is  a  three-horse  vehicle,  has  got  three  big 
brutes  to  look  after.  He  has  got  to  keep  himself  in  control 
and  look  after  twenty  passengers  inside,  and  then  you  want 
to  place  upon  him  the  responsibility  of  looking  after  the 
individual  pedestrian  on  the  street  besides.  Don't  you  think 
it  is  rather  overburdening  that  one  man?"  The  result  of  it 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  357 

was  the  cutting  down  of  accidents  the  first  year,  by  putting 
that  regulation  into  effect,  almost  fifty  per  cent.  They 
could  arrest  the  man  who  was  hurt.  They  didn't  just  have 
the  opportunity  of  warning  him,  but  if  you  saw  a  man 
going  across  the  street  you  could  identify  that  man  and  go 
and  get  out  an  affidavit  and  prosecute  him. 

It  was  only  a  little  time  until  they  brought  the  realization 
to  the  people  that  it  was  important  and  necessary  for  them 
not  to  cross  the  streets  in  the  middle  of  the  block,  but 
to  go  down  to  the  corner  where  they  could  be  protected  by 
having  the  busses  and  vehicles  stop,  in  order  that  they  could 
get  by;  and  then,  in  order  that  the  responsibility  would  not 
be  on  the  driver,  when  they  notified  the  people  to  stop, 
they  had  to  stop  on  the  sidewalk,  not  in  the  street  and  dodge 
in  between  the  vehicles.  Then,  of  course,  there  is  a  certain 
number  of  careless  drivers.  They  have  no  speed  limits  in 
Paris,  for  example,  only  the  limits  of  safety.  They  don't 
say  eight  miles  or  ten  miles  or  fifteen  miles  an  hour.  A 
driver  could  drive  forty  miles  an  hour,  but  let  that  man 
once  violate  the  law  or  hurt  anybody  and  his  license  13 
taken  away  from  him,  and  thereafter  his  occupation  is  gone. 
He  is  not  permitted  to  get  another.  The  result  of  it  is  that 
it  makes  every  driver  doubly  careful. 

Another  thing,  they  don't  permit  anyone  to  drive  a  vehicle, 
whether  it  is  a  boy  or  girl  or  owner,  or  someone  else,  with- 
out having  passed  an  examination  and  getting  a  license  to 
show  that  they  are  competent  to  do  it.  They  look  after 
it  on  that  side.  Why  shouldn't  a  public  safety  commissioner 
begin  to  look  after  these  things?  Furthermore,  they  go 
to  the  extent  of  educating  the  people  by  signs  in  all  the 
busses  and  in  all  the  underground  cars,  and  you  are  flooded 
with  the  little  pamphlets  everywhere,  and  they  are  in  the 
S'-hools,  too.  Why  couldn't  those  public  safety  commis- 
sioners commence  taking  that  up  with  little  pamphlets,  and 
get  it  into  the  schools,  to  teach  the  people  to  be  careful? 
You  have  got  to  make  it  a  part  of  their  life,  yet  we  Amer- 
icans have  so  little  regard  for  those  things,  at  least  we  are 
willing  to  take  so  many  chances  that  these  accidents  occur 
every  day. 

We  all  want  to  get  ahead.  They  found  out  in  that  exami- 
nation in  London,  that  one  of  the  greatest  causes  of  acci- 
dents was  that  of  a  team  jumping  out  and  passing  another 
team,  you  know.  The  man  that  attempted  to  cross  the  street 
would  find  another  team  jumping  out  across  to  get  ahead,  so 
that  team  would  just  catch  the  man  who  was  a  watchful 
pedestrian,  maybe,  just  as  he  was  trying  to  avoid  that  ma- 
chine. So  they  cut  that  out.  Well,  then  there  is  another 
thing  that  we  do,  that  they  have  stopped,  which  cut  the  ac- 
cidents on  the  English  roads  almost  in  two.  That  was  the 


358  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

driving  in  the  middle  of  the  road.  You  know  they  have  a 
great  many  winding  roads,  high  fences  and  hedges  over 
there,  which  prevent  you  from  seeing  across  the  corner. 
They  are  cutting  lots  of  these  corners  away,  and  you  can 
circle  around  with  a  good  view  ahead;  but  the  road  is  wide 
enough  for  two  teams.  Any  man  who  is  caught  driving 
ir  the  center  of  the  road  is  subject  to  arrest  at  any  time. 
They  find  that  by  having  the  man  drive  at  the  side  of  the 
road,  even  if  he  does  happen  to  be  going  fast  in  going  around 
a  corner,  every  one  is  on  his  side  of  the  road  and  an  ac- 
cident is  prevented.  With  us,  by  being  in  the  middle  of 
the  road,  it  would  just  bring  an  accident  on,  and  you  know 
how  difficult  it  is  for  any  of  us  to  keep  on  the  side  of  the 
road  when  we  don't  see  anyone  immediately  in  front.  We 
don't  realize  the  rapidity  with  which  a  vehicle  coming  at 
the  rate  of  forty  or  fifty  miles  an  hour  will  reach  us. 

A  train  will  come  out  of  a  bunch  of  timber,  or  from  behind 
a  fence,  and  it  is  on  you  in  a  moment  and  you  have  no 
chance.  You  might  get  out  and  look  and  all  that,  and  this 
public  safety  commissioner  could  be  looking  after  that  to 
see  that  others  looked  ahead.  Men  are  not  hurt  where  you 
can  see  the  train  coming  a  half  a  mile  either  way.  That 
isn't  where  you  get  hurt.  It  is  these  other  hidden  places, 
v/here  they  have  not  an  unobstructed  look  ahead. 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  Mr.  Kenyon,  excuse  me  for 
interrupting  you,  but  we  only  have  about  six  miuntes.  We 
must  close  at  four  o'clock,  but  whatever  time  is  left  I  will 
let  you  have. 

MR.  KENYON:  I  will  be  through  in  just  a  minute. 
There  is  just  one  other  thing  I  have  got  here.  There  are 
defects  in  the  road  that  you  all  understand,  which  are  largely 
matters  of  repair,  but  engineering  signs  will  tend  to  correct 
the  defects.  Next  is  the  matter  I  spoke  of  a  moment  ago 
of  unskilled  drivers.  Now,  they  have  the  power  to  co-operate 
with  the  police,  and  in  this  additional  feature  wouldn't  it  be 
a  great  thing  for  the  benefit  of  the  public  and  the  com- 
munity, and  ought  it  not  to  be  done  by  every  highway  com- 
mission, every  county  commission  or  county  officers?  There 
ought  to  be  some  man  whose  duty  it  is,  it  seems  to  me,  to 
look  after  this  matter  of  public  safety,  and  spread  that 
propaganda  and  get  it  into  the  schools,  and  public  adver- 
tisements, and  pamphlets  and  so  on.  What  a  wonderful 
work  it  could  do,  and  what  a  supplement  to  the  work  that 
you  are  doing,  and  really  a  part  of  your  work,  is  it  not?  (Ap- 
plause.) 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  Mr.  Kenyon,  in  all  of  our  states 
east,  like  Connecticut,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania 
and  Delaware,  the  state  highway  commissioner  has  a  right 
and  exercises  his  right  and  authority  to  cancel  any  man's 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  359 

right  to  drive  on  the  highways,  who  has  been  convicted  of 
careless  or  reckless  driving.  They  exercise  that  right.  You 
referred  to  the  notice  to  be  sent  to  school  children.  That 
was  inaugurated  by  Dr.  Rowe,  of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  and 
he  has  had  at  his  own  expense  probably  500,000  of  those 
little  things  printed  and  sent  out  around  to  the  school  com- 
missioners of  the  eastern  cities,  to  be  distributed  among  the 
school  children. 

MR.  KENYON:    There  is  not  one  of  them  here. 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  I  know  they  are  not  here,  but 
I  am  talking  about  what  he  has  done  himself.  In  the  east 
it  is  just  as  much  the  part  of  a  contract  to  put  a  guard-rail 
and  a  sign-board  up  as  it  is  to  put  the  foundations  in  fof 
the  road. 

MR.  KENYON:  There  are  five  states  you  have  spoken  of, 
and  you  must  remember  we  have  forty-six  or  forty-eight. 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  I  am  talking  about  the  ones 
that  have  come  under  my  own  observation,  the  ones  that 
I  know  of.  Another  thing  we  are  going  to  have,  we  are 
going  to  bring  Canada  so  close  to  us  that  we  can  drive 
across  the  line  without  having  to  change  our  tags  any  more 
than  we  have  to  change  them  in  driving  through  New  York 
or  Pennsylvania.  Dick  Lee,  of  Cleveland,  who  is  the  chair- 
man of  our  legislative  committee,  told  me  the  last  time  I  saw 
him  that  he  thought  we  would  have  that  inaugurated  this 
fall,  so  that  by  next  year  we  could  drive  over  to  Canada 
exactly  the  same  as  we  drive  between  our  own  states. 

MR.  REED:  I  would  like  to  say  a  word  against  your 
side.  In  the  state  of  Washington  there  was  a  law  providing 
for  a  speed  limit  of  twenty-four  miles,  and  the  Automobile 
Association  got  it  increased  to  thirty. 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  They  got  it  increased  to  thirty? 
Was  there  any  objection  to  that? 

MR.  REED:    Surely. 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  Will  you  tell  me  some  man 
that  doesn't  drive  thirty  miles  an  hour? 

MR.  REED:     Why  should  he? 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:     That  is  it. 

MR.  REED:  Twenty-four  miles  an  hour  is  sufficiently 
rapid. 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  It  is,  and  I  would  not  differ  with 
ycu  on  that  at  all. 

MR.  REED:  Now,  then,  why  enlarge  it  to  thirty,  if 
the  law  says  twenty-four  miles  an  hour? 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  I  would  like  to  find  a  man 
that  drives  an  automobile  that  won't  go  thirty  miles  an 
hour  where  he  can,  providing  it  doesn't  interfere  with  some- 
body else- 

MR.  R^ED:     We  have  in  our  state  that  law  which  was 


360  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

twenty-four  and  now  thirty.  It  is  up  to  the  county  com- 
missioner to  regulate  these  things.  We  can  put  upon  the 
road  a  limit,  limiting  any  part  of  the  road  to  any  speed 
whatsoever.  For  instance,  on  short  turns  we  can  put  up 
signs  that  the  speed  limit  here  is  seven  miles  an  hour  or 
ten  miles  an  hour,  and  we  can  enforce  it  by  penalty.  The 
difficulty  of  a  penalty  is  this:  Every  judge  is  elected.  Every 
judge  is  afraid  of  losing  votes,  and  he  makes  a  small  penalty. 
If  I  were  a  judge  and  I  had  the  penalties  to  lay  down  for 
the  breaking  of  any  law,  I  would  make  them  large.  If  you 
would  fine  a  man  a  hundred  dollars  or  five  hundred  dollars 
for  exceeding  the  speed  limit,  he  wouldn't  break  it  the 
second  time;  whereas,  if  you  fine  him  five  'dollars  or  ten 
dollars^  he  goes  ahead  and  keeps  on  breaking  it. 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  That  puts  me  in  mind  of  a 
friend  of  mine  who  was  talking  on  the  temperance  question 
once.  He  said  he  was  in  favor  of  whenever  a  man  got 
drunk  to  cut  off  one  of*  his  ears.  I  said  to  him,  "Why,  that 
wouldn't  be  right.  It  wouldn't  be  nice,  because  there  would 
be  a  devil  of  a  lot  of  nice  fellows  going  around  with  only 
one  ear." 

MR.  REED:  That  reminds  me  of  another  statement. 
I  used  to  be  a  banker.  In  China  they  have  a  law  which 
says  to  the  effect  that  when  a  bank  fails,  they  know  in 
advance  they  are  going  to  fail.  They  know  a  long  ways 
ahead  how  many  bad  loans  they  have,  except,  of  course, 
in  a  general  panic  when  you  can't  pay  off  all  your  depositors 
at  one  time.  In  China,  if  a  bank  fails,  they  cut  off  the  head 
of  the  manager,  and  there  hasn't  been  a  bank  failure  there 
for  a  hundred  years. 

MR.  BUTLER:  This  question  of  safety  first  is  one  that 
I  believe  this  body  of  men  should  give  particular  attention 
to,  from  the  fact  that  they  come  from  the  various  sections 
of  the  United  States,  and  everybody  is  interested  in  the 
question  of  accident  prevention.  I  will  only  take  a  moment 
of  your  time,  but  my  work  is  along  lines  that  brings  me 
in  contact  with  traffic  accidents.  I  am  safe  in  saying  that 
ninety  per  cent  of  all  traffic  accidents  are  due  either  to  care- 
lessness or  ignorance  of  the  laws  and  regulations  govern- 
ing traffic.  If  uniform  traffic  laws  were  enacted  throughout 
the  United  States,  so  that  a  man  would  be  just  as  much 
at  home  in  driving  in  New  York  as  he  is  in  California,  and 
all  obeyed  those  laws,  we  would  not  have  the  accidents 
that  we  do. 

The  sudden  thrusting  of  the  motor  vehicle  into  general  use, 
and  its  rapid  growth  and  increase  on  the  streets  and  roads 
of  the  country,  has  increased  accidents  at  a  very  excessive 
rate,  as  compared  with  other  vehicles  in  use.  Every  time 
a  motor  vehicle  is  driven  from  the  salesroom  there  is  an- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  361 

other  driver  added  to  the  already  large  number  that  are 
now  using  the  steets.  Oftentimes  that  driver  is  given  just 
enough  instructions  to  enable  him  to  get  that  machine  out 
of  there  and  get  it  home,  with  no  instructions  as  to  the 
traffic  rules  or  the  mechanism  of  his  car. 

In  Los  Angeles  the  motor  bus  business  developed  almost 
over  night.  On  the  first  of  October  we  had  no  motor  busses, 
and  on  the  thirtieth  of  October  we  were  issuing  forty  to 
sixty  licenses  a  day  to  men  to  begin  the  motor  bus  busi- 
ness; in  the  parlance  of  the  street,  the  "jitney"  business. 
We  had  over  1,800  in  operation  the  first  of  January.  The 
most  of  those  vehicles  were  owned  by  men  or  purchased 
by  men  who  made  a  payment  down  on  them,  knew  nothing 
whatever  of  the  traffic  laws,  and  put  themselves  up  as  drivers 
in  our  heavy  traffic  in  the  downtown  district.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  within  ninety  days  from  the  beginning  of 
the  motor  bus  business  until  it  reached  its  height,  the  num- 
ber of  accidents  increased  in  Los  Angeles  35  per  cent.  It 
was  very  appalling,  and  it  was  a  very  serious  problem. 

We  began  an  agitation  for  an  ordinance  that  would  place 
some  restriction  on  these  men  to  regulate  them,  as  to  who 
should  drive,  and  things  of  that  kind.  Among  other  things, 
we  got  an  ordinance  through  that  provided  that  every  man 
must  take  an  examination.  That  examination  is  held  under 
the  supervision  of  my  department,  and  the  first  week  of  that 
examination,  beginning  in  Jul^,  we  examined  300  of  .those 
drivers.  Out  of  that  three  hundred  there  were  some  seventy- 
five  that  fell  below  seventy-five  per  cent.  Seventy-five  of  the 
men  that  had  been  driving  two  or  three  years  couldn't  answer 
forty  per  cent  of  the  questions  regarding  traffic.  We  turned 
those  men  down  and  told  them  they  could  take  the  exami- 
nation again  within  two  weeks,  and  for  them  to  come  back 
and  see  if  they  could  do  better.  Oftentimes  they  came  back 
and  passed  80  or  90  per  cent  of  those  questions,  showing 
that  if  they  have  to  they  can  pass  it.  We  make  them  give 
a  test  of  their  ability  to  drive  among  the  heavy  traffic,  and 
drive  in  narrow  roads,  and  things  of  that  kind,  to  demon- 
strate, that  they  do  understand  the  handling  of  their  ma- 
chines. I  believe  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  until  that 
method  will  have  to  be  adopted  as  regards  the  drivers.  When 
machines  were  few  the  possibility  of  accidents  was  not  so 
great.  Since  machines  have  increased  so  rapidly  on  our 
highways,  the  possibility  of  accidents  has  increased  pro- 
portionately, and  I  believe  it  is  coming  to  that. 

There  is  one  thing  that  every  man  in  this  convention 
should  bear  in  mind,  and  that  is  the  grade  crossing.  I 
am  heartily  in  favor  of  the  president's  statement  there  that 
the  grade  crossings  must  be  eliminated.  Some  one  made  the 
assertion  that  one  of  my  neighbors  next  door  was  killed  when 


362  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

he  had  a  clear  vision  of  the  crossing,  a  half  mile  in  each 
direction.  Another  man  was  killed  at  Santa  Anna,  where  he 
had  a  clear  vision  of  the  track  for  a  half  mile  in  each  di- 
rection. That  is  carelessness.  It  is  carelessness  in  90  per 
cent  of  the  accidents  and  I  strongly  advocate  examination  as 
a  step  towards  eliminating  accidents  and  adjusting  the  traffic 
conditions.  (Applause.) 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  A  number  of  years  ago  Shakes- 
peare wrote,  "That  is  a  consummation  devoutly  to  be  wished." 
We  tried  that  in  New  York  state,  the  examination  of 
drivers  and  the  issuing  of  certificates,  and  we  had  to  abandon 
them.  It  was  an  impossibility.  To  have  an  examination, 
you  have  got  to  have  an  examiner  in  each  town,  but  that 
is  for  the  states  themselves.  That  is  not  a  national  ques- 
tion. We  have  got  two  or  three  things  on  our  regular  pro- 
gramme to  which  we  will  now  return. 

MR.  MEHREN:  Mr.  Chairman,  in  reference  to  the  mat- 
ter of  "safety  first,"  I  believe  that  all  of  us  could  contribute 
somewhat  to  the  movement  if  we  gave  more  serious  con- 
sideration to  our  civic  responsibility.  Let  me  explain  what 
I  mean.  To  begin  with  I  think  it  is  absolutely  nonsensical 
to  inveigh  the  automobile  drivers  and  to  attribute  all  auto- 
mobile accidents  to  them.  Nevertheless,  there  must  be  a 
considerable  number,  a  large  number,  of  accidents  due  to 
reckless  driving.  How  many  of  us,  however,  are  willing  to 
make  the  necessary  sacrifice  of  time  to  bring  a  reckless 
•  driver  into  the  clutches  of  the  law? 

Now,  let  me  tell  a  story.  It  will  take  only  a  minute.  Just 
a  short  time  ago  a  child  was  killed  on  account  of  reckless 
driving,  within  a  half  mile  of  where  I  live.  That  night  a 
neighbor  living  next  door  to  the  place  where  the  child  lived 
was  in  my  home.  He  said  to  me,  "Did  you  hear  about  the 
death  of  Frank  Smith's  boy?"  I  said,  "Yes,  too  bad,  isn't 
it?"  He  hesitated  a  minute  and  said,  "Yes,  it  is  too  bad,  but 
what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?"  Well,  I  had  no  idea 
what  he  meant  by  the  question,  what  I  was  going  to  do 
about  the  death  of  that  child,  through  reckless  driving.  Then 
he  explained  his  point.  I  have  four  boys.  He  said,  "Suppose 
your  oldest  boy  had  been  killed  today  by  reckless  driving, 
what  would  you  do  about  it?"  I  couln't  help  but  feel  my 
blood  boil  and  feel  I  would  like  to  get  my  clutches  upon 
the  reckless  driver  that  had  been  responsible  for  that  child's 
death.  I  have  made  a  resolution,  gentlemen,  that  if  I  can 
get  witnesses  I  shall  bring  to  the  attention  of  the  officers  of 
the  law  every  reckless  driver  that  I  see  on  the  city  streets. 
I  am  going  to  make  that  much  of  L  sacrifice  for  the  safety, 
not  only  of  my  child,  who  might  have  been  killed,  but  all 
other  children  who  are  endangered  by  reckless  driving.  (Ap- 
plause.) 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  363 

CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  The  paper  that  was  to  have 
been  read  this  afternoon  by  A.  H.  Blanchard,  professor  of 
Highway  Engineering,  Columbia  University,  on  "Equipment 
for  Highway  Work,"  will  be  read  by  a  title  and  permission 
given  to  print. 

Equipment    for    Highway    Work 

By  ARTHUR  H.  BLANCHARD 
Professor  of  Highway  Engineering,  Columbia  University 

Fundamentally,  the  problem  of  the  selection  of  economical 
and  efficient  plant  equipment  is  the  same  for  the  highway 
departments  of  states,  counties,  and  municipalities  and  con- 
tracting companies.  The  selection  of  equipment  for  the 
construction  and  maintenance  of  highways  should  be  based 
upon  a  consideration  of  the  following  factors:  (1)  Character 
of  work;  (2)  specification  requirements  covering  plant 
equipment;  (3)  amount  of  work;  (4)  portability  of  plant; 
(5)  large  and  small  units;  (6)  ease  of  manipulation;  (7) 
adaptability  to  different -classes  of  work;  (8)  funds  available; 
(9)  depreciation  of  plant;  (10)  transportation  facilities.  The 
practical  necessity  for  the  consideration  of  many  of  the 
above  factors  is  self-evident. 

Character  of  Work. — In  the  case  of  contractors  whose 
work  is  confined  to  the  construction  of  sheet  asphalt  pave- 
ments and  in  the  case  of  a  department  such  as,  for  instance, 
that  of  Wayne  County,  Michigan,  where  the  highway  work 
consists  primarily  of  grading  operations  and  the  construc- 
tion of  cement  concrete  pavements,  the  problem  is  mate- 
rially simplified.  On  the  other  hand  where  a  contractor's 
work  covers  the  construction  of  all  the  various  types  of 
roads  and  pavements  used  in  a  municipality,  county  or 
state,  the  selection  of  the  several  units  of  plant  equipment 
should  be  based  upon  their  adaptability  to  different  classes 
of  work.  For  example,  where  cement  concrete  pavements  as 
well  as  concrete  foundations  are  to  be  constructed,  in  many 
cases  a  type  of  mixer  should  be  purchased  which  is  satis- 
factory for  the  construction  of  pavements,  the  requirements 
for  which  are  more  specific  than  in  the  case  of  mixers  used 
only  on  foundation  work. 

Specification  Requirements  Covering  Plant  Equipment. — 
In  the  modern  practice  of  highway  engineering,  many  speci- 
fications include  specific  stipulations  which  must  be  met  by 
machines  and  accessories  employed.  As  illustrations  might 
be  cited  the  weight  of  rollers,  pressure  limitations  in  dis- 
tributors, grouting  apparatus,  and  details  of  mixers  for  .the 
manufacture  of  bituminous  concrete. 

Amount  of  Work,  Portability  of  Plant,  Large  and  Small 
Units. — It  is  evident  that  a  contractor  or  a  department  will 
be  justified  in  the  purchase  of  an  ideal  equipment  if  the  work 


364  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

is  to  be  extensive  in  character.  If  the  work  is  centralized 
and  large  in  amount,  as  in  the  case  of  sheet  asphalt  work, 
in  many  municipalities  a  large,  well-equipped  permanent  plant 
will  prove  economical.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  work  is 
large  in  amount  but  distributed  over  considerable  area, 
small  portable  units  will  prove  more  satisfactory,  as  in  the 
case  of  mixing  plants  for  the  manufacture  of  bituminous  con- 
crete to  be  laid  on  state  and  county  highways. 

Ease  of  Manipulation. — In  cases  where  contractors  are  en- 
gaged in  general  highway  work  and  their  organization  does 
not  include  foremen  who  are  specialists  in  the  manipulation 
of  various  types  of  complicated  machinery,  it  is  of  utmost 
importance  that  simplicity  of  machines  and  ease  of  manipu- 
lation should  be  grven  great  weight  in  the  selection  of  equip- 
ment. This  is  particularly  true  in  connection  with  various 
types  of  machines  used  in  the  construction  of  bituminous 
surfaces,  bituminous  macadam  and  bituminous  concrete  pave- 
ments. 

Adaptability  to  Different  Classes  of  Work. — It  is  well 
known  that  specifications  for  different  classes  of  work,  re- 
quiring the  same  type  of  machine,  call  for  differences  in  de- 
tail. For  grading  work,  specifications  might  require  rollers 
weighing  from  12  to  15  tons,  while  in  the  construction  of 
wearing  courses  of  some  types  of  pavements  a  10  to  12-ton 
roller  is  stipulated.  A  contractor  who  is  handling  a  small 
amount  of  general  highway  work  would,  therefore,  find  it 
advantageous  to  purchase  a  12-ton  roller  suitable  for  both 
classes  of  work  mentioned  above. 

Funds  Available. — Departments  and  contractors  are  neces- 
sarily forced  to  consider  first  cost  of  equipment,  as  the  funds 
available  may  not  permit  the  installation  of  the  most  econ- 
omical and  efficient  machines.  In  many  cases  where  such 
conditions  are  encountered,  it  is  obvious  that  it  will  not  be 
practicable  to  anticipate  that  the  work  can  be  accomplished 
with  the  same  degree  of  rapidity  and  at  the  same  cost  as  if 
more  efficient  machinery  constituted  the  plant  equipment. 

Depreciation  of  Plant  Equipment. — Depreciation  charges 
on  plant  equipment  should  be  given  careful  consideration 
prior  to  the  purchase  of  machines  and  accessories  as  well  as 
in  the  consideration  of  the  cost  of  highway  work. 

Transportation  Facilities. — Facilities  for  the  transportation 
of  machinery  and  materials  materially  affect  the  efficiency  of 
the  several  units  of  plant  equipment.  For  example,  in  munic- 
ipalities, counties  and  states  where  materials  may  be  trans- 
ported over  highways  in  good  condition,  the  use  of  the  motor 
truck  will  usually  be  found  desirable. 

Brief  consideration  will  be  given  to  the  plant  equipment 
suitable  for  grading,  quarrying,  construction  of  the  several 
types  of  roads  and  pavements,  street  cleaning  and  snow 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  365 

removal.  The  limitations  of  this  paper  will  prevent  the  con- 
sideration of  small  tools  and  accessories.  It  is  also  evident 
that  normal  conditions  usually  will  be  assumed  as  the  basis 
for  sugestion  of  plant  equipment  for  the  various  items  of 
highway  work  enumerated  above.  Wagons^  or  motor  trucks 
will  be  found  a  necessary  part  of  equipment  for  all  classes  of 
work. 

Grading. — Grading  operations  vary  from  the  scarifying  of 
an  old  road  surface,  preparatory  to  the  construction  of  a  new 
wearing  course,  to  heavy  cut  and  fill  work  requiring  the  mov- 
ing of  thousands  of  cubic  yards  of  material.  It  is  apparent 
that  only  extreme  conditions  can  be  mentioned  in  this  dis- 
cussion as  the  economics  of  the  utilization  of  various  classes 
of  machines  on  average  grading  work  would  necessitate  a 
comprehensive  discussion.  For  the  lightest  class  of  grad- 
ing mentioned,  scarifiers  drawn  by  rollers  have  proved  more 
economical  and  efficient  than  the  use  of  picks  in  roller 
wheels  or  any  one  of  the  several  types  of  plows  drawn  by 
rollers  or  tractors.  For  the  heaviest  class  of  grading  wor^e, 
in  many  instances  steam  shovels  loading  into  wagons  will  be 
found  economical.  In  connection  with  all  grading  work  ex- 
cept light  scarifying,  one  or  more  of  the  following  types  of 
machines  should  form  a  part  of  the  plant  equipment  for 
grading:  Road  drags,  grading  and  rooter  plows,  drag  and 
wheel  scrapers,  elevating  graders,  and  rollers.  It  should  be 
noted  that  the  utilization  of  the  elevating  grader  has  not  been, 
fully  developed  by  many  contractors.  It  should  also  be 
noted  that  many  engineers  and  contractors  prefer  the  con- 
struction of  embankments  in  thin  layers  with  light,  smooth- 
faced rollers  or  sectional  rollers  instead  of  the  construction 
of  the  maximum  thickness  of  layers  allowed  by  specifica- 
tions and  compaction  with  15  to  18-ton  rollers. 

Quarrying. — Plant  equipment  for  quarrying  depends  pri- 
marily upon  the  kind  of  rock,  the  required  output  per  day, 
and  th£  length  of  time  during  which  the  quarry  will  be 
worked.  Drills  and  blasting  devices  are  a  necessary  part  of 
all  equipment  for  rock  work.  Contractors  or  departments 
working  the  quarry  to  supply  material  for  a  specific  high- 
way would  use  the  ordinary  portable  crushing  and  screening 
plant  consisting  of  boiler,  engine,  jaw  crusher,  elevator, 
screen  and  bins.  Small  quarries,  more  or  less  continuously 
operated,  are  generally  equipped  with  the  above  plant  except 
that  in  many  cases  the  gyratory  crusher  proves  more  eco- 
nomical. Passing  to  the  largest  quarries,  modern  equip- 
ment for  the  economical  manufacture  of  broken  stone  should 
consist  of  steam  shovels  for  removing  the  rock  masses  from 
the  quarry  face  to  steel  cars.  In  such  quarries  the  pieces 
of  rock  transported  to  the  crusher  may  vary  in  size  up  to 
masses  weighing  7  or  8  tons.  The  rock  should  be  first 


366  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

crushed  in  a  mammoth  jaw  crusher  from  which  the  rock 
should  be  passed  through  a  series  of  gyratory  crushers,  jaw 
crushers  and  rolling  mills  and  thence  to  elevators,  screens 
and  bins.  In  some  plants  of  this  type  washing  devices  are 
a  necessary  part  of  the  equipment  in  order  to  produce  stone 
chips  free  from  dust. 

Earth  Roads. — In  the  construction  of  earth  roads  on  a 
large  scale,  the  following  equipment  has  been  found  to  be 
economically  efficient:  Elevating  grader  drawn  by  horses  or 
by  a  tractor,  scrapers,  disc  and  straight-tooth  harrows,  road 
drags,  rollers  and  watering  carts.  The  combinations  of  the 
machines  mentioned  which  will  be  used  will  depend  upon 
the  amount  of  work,  character  of  the  soil  and  the  cross  sec- 
tion to  which  the  road  is  to  be  built. 

Gravel  Roads. — Spike-tooth  harrows,  scrapers,  road  drags, 
rollers  and  watering  carts  constitute  the  equipment  for  the 
construction  of  gravel  roads.  Many  engineers  and  contract- 
ors have  found  grooved  rollers  more  satisfactory  for  this 
class  of  work  than  smooth-faced  rollers. 

Broken  Stone  Roads. — The  average  equipment  consists  of 
harrows,  rollers,  and  watering  carts.  For  many  types  of 
construction  and  kinds  of  rock,  rolling  for  long  periods  with 
10  or  12-ton  rollers  has  secured  a  better  compaction  and 
economical  bond  than  in  cases  where  15  and  18-ton  rollers 
have  been  used  for  short  periods.  Some  contractors  have 
found  automatic  screening  spreaders  a  valuable  addition  to 
the  plant  equipment. 

Bituminous  Surfaces. — The  equipment  required  for  the  con- 
struction of  bituminous  surfaces  depends  upon  the  amount 
and  character  of  the  work  and  the  rapidity  with  which  it 
must  be  accomplished.  For  example,  the  construction  of  a 
bituminous  surface  on  a  broken  stone  road  will  require  an 
equipment  of  rotary  brushes  or  coarse  fiber  brooms,  bass 
fiber  brooms,  in  some  cases  batteries  of  heating  kettles,  a 
distributor  to  meet  specifications  and  adaptable  for  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  kind  of  bituminous  material  under  condi- 
tions stipulated  in  the  specifications,  pouring  cans,  squeegees, 
and,  in  some  cases,  5  to  10-ton  rollers  and  hand-drawn  or 
horse-drawn  automatic  stone  chip  distributors. 

Bituminous  Macadam  Pavements. — The  equipment  will 
depend  primarily  upon  the  specifications  and  the  kind  of 
bituminous  material  employed.  The  usual  equipment  con- 
sists of  batteries  of  heating  kettles,  a  distributor,  pouring 
cans,  and  a  roller.  The  specifications  covering  certain  fea- 
tures of  the  distributor  may  be  specific,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
1914  specifications  adopted  by  the  American  Society  of  Mu- 
nicipal Improvements  herewith  quoted: 

The  pressure  distributor  employed  shall  be  so  designed  and 
operated  as  to  distribute  the  bituminous  materials  ^specified 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  3t>7 

uniformly  under  a  pressure  of  not  less  than  twenty  (20)  pounds 
nor  more  than  seventy-five  (75)  pounds  per  square  inch  in  the 
amount  and  between  the  limits  of  temperature  specified.  It 
shall  be  supplied  with  an  accurate  stationary  thermometer 
in  the  tank  containing  the  bituminous  material  and  with  an 
accurate  pressure  gauge  so  located  as  to  be  easily  observed  by 
the  engineer  while  walking  beside  the  distributor.  It  shall 
be  so  operated  that,  at  the  termination  of  each  run,  the  bitu- 
minous material  will  be  at  once  shut  off.  It  shall  be  so  de- 
signed that  the  normal  width  of  application  shall  be  not  less 
than  six  (6)  feet  and  so  that  it  will  be  possible  on  either 
side  of  the  machine  to  apply  widths  of  not  more  than  two 

(2)  feet.     The  distributor  shall  be  provided  with  wheels  hav- 
ing tires   each   of  which  shall   not  be   less  than   eighteen    (18) 
inches  in  width,  the  allowed  maximum  pressure  per  square  inch 
of   tire    being    dependent   upon    the    following   relationship   be- 
tween  the  aforesaid  pressure  and   the   diameter  of  the  wheel: 
For    a    two    (2)    foot    diameter    wheel,    two    hundred    and    fifty 
(250)    pounds   shall   be   the  maximum   pressure   per  linear  inch 
of  width   of  tire   per  wheel,   an  additional   pressure   of   twenty 
(20)    pounds  per  inch  being  allowed  for  each  additional  three 

(3)  inches   in   diameter. 

Bituminous  Concrete  Pavements. — The  type  of  pavement, 
amount  of  work,  the  specifications  and  the  kind  of  bituminous 
material  employed  materially  affect  the  selection  of  the  plant 
equipment  for  this  class  of  work.  Batteries  of  heating  ket- 
tles and  a  roller  are  required  for  the  construction  of  all 
types  of  bituminous  concretes.  Although  the  practice  of 
contractors  has  varied  to  a  considerable  extent  with  refer- 
ence to  the  weight  and  type  of  roller,  many  now  favor  the  fO 
to  12-ton  tandem  roller  for  all  classes  with  the  exception 
of  Topeka  bituminous  concrete.  The  practice  has  also 
materially  varied  with  reference  to  the  type  of  mixer  em- 
ployed. It  has  been  demonstrated,  however,  that  for  all 
classes  of  bituminous  concrete  work,  a  contractor,  who  is 
to  construct  a  considerable  yardage  of  this  type  of  pavement, 
should  have  a  mixing  plant  which  includes  the  following 
units:  Heating  kettles,  elevators,  a  drier,  bins,  weighing  de- 
vices and  a  pug  mill  mixer.  For  pavements  of  the  type  of 
bitulithic,  a  rotary  screen  is  a  necessary  adjunct  to  the 
plant.  For  those  types  of  bituminous  concrete  in  connec- 
tion with  which  seal  coats  are  employed,  the  equipment  will 
necessarily  be  increased  by  the  addition  of  hand-drawn  dis- 
tributors, pouring  cans,  squeegees,  and,  in  many  cases,  hand- 
drawn  automatic  stone  chip  distributors.  :.* 

Sheet  Asphalt  Pavements. — The  plant  equipment  neces- 
sarily depends  upon  the  amount  and  location  of  the  work 
and  the  specifications.  A  tandem  roller  constitutes  a  part 
of  the  equipment  for  all  sheet  asphalt  work.  The  mixing 
plants  are  of  three  types — portable,  semi-portable,  and  per- 
manent. A  complete  plant  includes  a  cold  sand  elevator,  a 


368  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

drier,  a  hot  sand  elevator,  a  hot  sand  storage  bin  with  screen, 
an  asphalt  elevator,  a  flux  tank,  melting  tank,  draw-off  tank, 
a  sand  measuring  box,  a  dust  elevator,  bin  and  measuring 
box,  an  asphalt  cement  bucket  and  a  pug  mill  mixer. 

Cement  Concrete  Pavements. — Variations  in  economical 
equipment  depend  primarily  upon  the  specifications.  A 
beam  and  bucket  cement  concrete  mixer,  forms,  templates, 
bridges,  watering  carts,  pumps  and  hose  usually  constitute 
the  equipment  for  the  construction  of  cement  concrete  pave- 
ments constructed  by  the  mixing  method. 

Wood  Block  Pavements. — For  the  building  of  wood  block 
pavements,  the  equipment  should  include  the  necessary  ap- 
paratus for  the  construction  of  the  mortar  cushion  or  a  tem- 
plate and  hand  roller  when  a  sand  cushion  is  employed,  a 
tandem  roller  weighing  from  3  to  5  tons  and  the  necessary 
distributing  apparatus  for  the  application  of  fillers  and  the 
construction  of  expansion  joints. 

Brick  Pavements. — The  equipment  should  include  a  wood 
template  and  hand  roller  for  the  construction  of  the  sand 
cushion,  a  tandem  roller  weighing  from  3  to  5  tons,  brushes, 
cement  grout  boxes  if  a  cement  grout  filler  is  employed  or 
conical  pouring  cans  if  bituminous  fillers  are  used  for  the 
construction  of  transverse  or  longitudinal  joints. 

Stone  Block  Pavements. — The  equipment  includes,  in  some 
cases,  templates  and  hand  rollers  for  the  construction  of  the 
sand  cushion,  tampers  and  the  necessary  apparatus  for  fill- 
irig  the  joints. 

Street  Cleaning. — The  equipment  required  for  street  clean- 
ing will  be  influenced  by  the  types  and  yardages  of  roads 
and  pavements.  Earth,  gravel  and  broken  stone  roadways 
require  push  brooms  or  horse-drawn  or  motor-driven  rotary 
sweepers  and  watering  carts.  Bituminous  surfaces  and  goo6 
brick,  bituminous  and  wood  block  pavements  necessitate  an 
equipment  for  hose  flushing  and  squeegeeing  or  rotary 
squeegees  and  watering  carts.  Brick,  in  poor  condition,  and 
stone  block  pavements  call  for  an  equipment  of  hand  brooms, 
rotary  brushes,  hose  for  flushing  or  flushing  machines. 

Snow  Removal. — Equipment  for  snow  removal  is  affected 
by  the  amount  of  snow  in  a  storm,  the  yardage  and  location 
of  the  roads  or  streets  to  be  cleared.  For  municipal  work 
road  scrapers  and  horse-drawn  and  motor  plows  have  been 
found  economical  and  efficient.  In  some  cases  apparatus  for 
flushing,  either  hose  or  power  flushing  machines  have  been 
found  advantageous.  In  the  case  of  many  roads,  compaction 
of  the  snow  being  principally  required,  snow  rollers  consti- 
tute the  equipment. 

Equipment  for  Maintenance. — In  a  brief  paper  it  is  not 
practicable  to  discuss  the  equipment  for  maintenance  for  all 
the  various  kinds  of  roads  and  pavements.  The  type  of  road 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  369 

or  pavement,  the  yardage  of  each  type  of  highway  within  a 
given  district  and  the  organization  of  a  highway  department 
or  the  specifications  under  which  contractors  must  main- 
tain highways  necessarily  materially  affect  the  selection  of 
an  economical  and  efficient  plant  equipment. 

As  an  illustration  will  be  cited  plant  equipment  which 
would  prove  satisfactory  for  the  maintenance  of  50  miles  of 
bituminous  macadam  and  bituminous  concrete  pavements  in 
a  given  district.  The  equipment  should  include  a  motor 
truck  and  a  trailer.  The  truck  would  be  used  for  transporta- 
tion of  broken  stone,  sand,  cement,  fuel,  bituminous  mate- 
rials and,  in  some  cases,  small  tools  and  accessories.  A 
trailer  should  be  permanently  equipped  with  a  small  mixer, 
drier,  and  melting  kettles.  In  many  cases  the  following  ac- 
cessories can  be  used  efficiently:  A  hand-drawn  gravity  dis- 
tributor, pouring  cans  which  distribute  the  material  in  the 
form  of  a  sheet,  conical  pouring  cans  such  as  are  used  for 
the  application  of  bituminous  fillers,  coarse  fiber  and  bass 
fiber  brooms,  a  heavy  hand-drawn  roller,  tampers,  smoothing 
irons,  squeegees,  a  large  hand  power  beHows,  a  small  sur- 
face heater,  and  other  small  tools  such  as  shovels  and  picks. 
If  large  areas  are  to  be  repaired,  a  horse-drawn  sweeper,  a 
small  pressure  distributor  and  a  tandem  roller  should  be 
included  in  the  equipment. 


CHAIRMAN  WILSON:  The  time  is  drawing  near  now, 
if  you  want  to  see  the  pictures  and  hear  our  friend  from 
the  north.  I  am  certain  this  will  be  an  opportunity  for 
you,  and  repay  you  for  your  time.  I  am  obliged  to  you  for 
the  attention  you  have  given  me  this  afternoon,  but  it  is  the 
same  thing  over  again.  You  have  these  questions  that  should 
be  brought  up  at  the  different  state  legislatures.  First  get 
your  own  people  and  convert  them.  Then  we  will  have  uni- 
form laws.  We  have  been  fighting  for  them  for  the  last  ten 
years,  but  the  gentleman  from  Connecticut  wants  it  one  way, 
the  gentleman  from  New  York  wants  it  another,  the  gentle- 
man from  New  Jersey  wants  it  another.  The  speed  limits 
are  different  in  the  various  states,  and  the  result  of  it  is  that 
where  you  give  an  automobile  driver  a  straight  road,  the 
chances  are  that  he  is  going  just  as  fast  as  his  wheels  will 
turn  around.  And  I  want  every  one  of  you  when  you  have 
a  man  pass  you  at  a  speed  that  puts  you  in  danger,  to  make 
an  information  against  him  and  make  him  pay  or  make  him 
quit  driving.  Now  Brother  Hill  is  from  the  north,  and  he  is 
from  the  whole  United  States.  He  represents  the  United 
States.  Now  he  is  going  to  tell  you  about  something  he  has 
accomplished,  and  has  been  accomplishing  in  other  places. 

SAMUEL  HILL:  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  I  want  to 
show  you  this  afternoon  some  pictures  of  the  roads  of  the 


370  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

world.  Before  I  do  that,  however,  I  will  show  some  pictures 
by  E.  H.  Curtis,  who  has  given  thirty-three  years  of  his  life 
writing  for  the  North  American  Indian.  He  lived  with  all 
the  Indians  throughout  the  country,  taking  the  part  of  a 
priest  in  a  snake  dance  down  in  Arizona.  I  know  these  pic- 
tures will  be  very  fine,  because  Mr.  Curtis  never  does  any- 
thing that  isn't  fine.  Unfortunately,  his  pictures  are  not 
shown  here  in  the  Washington  building  on  the  grounds.  I 
hate  to  say  anything  against  my  own  state,  that  of  Washing- 
ton, but  I  was  very  much  disappointed  not  to  find  these  pic> 
tures  over  there,  and  not  to  find  a  picture  of  the  building, 
the  building  of  all  the  state  of  Washington  that  was  marked 
"Good  Roads;"  the  first  building  ever  erected  in  the  history 
of  the  world  that  was  marked  "Good  Roads."  Major  Bowl- 
by  is  handling  the  stereopticon  for  me,  the  man  who  built  a 
part  of  the  Columbian  Road,  and  the  road  to  the  Siskyou 
Pass.  You  will  see  pictures  of  both  of  those  roads.  I  won't 
talk  much  while  the  pictures  are  being  shown,  but  I  may 
add  a  few  words  as  they  appear  on  the  screen. 

(At  the  conclusion  of  the  setreopticon  pictures,  the  meet- 
ing adjourned  until  Friday  morning,  September  17,  1915,  ten 
o'clock.) 


THURSDAY  EVENING  LAWN  FETE  AND  DANCE 

An  illuminated  lawn  fete  and  dance  was  tendered  the  dele- 
gates to  the  Pan-American  Road  Congress  Thursday  eve- 
ning by  Mrs.  Adolph  B.  Spreckels,  one  of  the  vice-presidents 
of  the  Pacific  Highway  Association,  at  2042  Vallejo  street, 
San  Francisco.  During  the  evening  there  were  music,  danc- 
ing and  speeches.  Among  the  speakers  were  Samuel  Hill, 
president  of  the  Pacific  Highway  Association;  James  H. 
MacDonald,  former  State  Highway  Commissioner  of  Con- 
necticut; Major  W.  W.  Crosby,  former  chief  state  highway 
engineer  of  Maryland,  and  others. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  371 

EIGHTH    SESSION 
Friday,  September  17,  10:00  A.  M. 

JAMES  H.  MAC  DONALD:  I  rather  expected  we  might 
possibly  have  a  slim  attendance  this  morning,  as  there  are 
so  many  counter  attractions  and  so  many  of  our  delegates 
who  desire  to  get  home  over  the  Sabbath,  and  for  various 
reasons  we  have  not  a  large  attendance.  I  had  thought  that 
perhaps  this  might  be  made  an  hour  for  the  review  of  les^ 
sons  that  occurred  to  those  of  you  delegates  who  are  pres- 
sent,  through  the  papers  and  discussions  that  we  have  had 
through  the  week,  while  we  are  waiting  for  those  who  are 
to  participate  in  the  exercises  this  morning  to  appear.  So 
I  have  great  pleasure  in  introducing  a  gentleman  that  I  think 
of  all  commissioners  in  the  United  States  occupies  a  sort 
of  unique  position  in  himself.  He  has  been  without  any 
doubt  to  more  conventions,  both  on  this  side  of  the  water 
and  the  other,  and  good  roads  meetings,  than  any  man  I 
know  of  in  the  country.  We  are  singularly  fortunate  in 
bringing  Colonel  Sohier  from  Massachusetts,  with  all  they 
have  to  do  there,  to  preside  over  our  meeting.  I  take  great 
pleasure,  Gentlemen,  in  introducing  Commissioner  Sohier, 
who  is  the  chairman  of  the  Massachusetts  Highway  Com- 
mission. (Applause.) 

(Col.  W.  D.  Sohier  then  took  the  Chair.) 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  I  find  that  Mr.  White  is  not 
here.  He  was  to  deliver  a  paper  on  "Comparisons  of  Traf- 
fic and  Their  Economic  Value."  I  think  from  the  fact  that 
he  is  not  here  it  is  probably  because  he  didn't  known  too 
much  about  the  subject.  Therefore  I  though  I  would  tell 
you  a  little  about  it  myself.  We  have  one  thing  in  com- 
mon with  the  West,  and  that  is,  cheek.  We  are  not  afraid 
to  talk  about  things  we  know  very  little  about,  because  we 
feel  you  know  less.  It  is  a  great  place,  really.  By  the  way, 
Ic  Mr.  Connell  is  here  I  should. like  very  much  to  have  him 
come  up  on  the  platform. 

I  don't  quite  understand  what  is  meant  by  the  economic 
value  of  the  traffic;  whether  it  is  the  economic  value  of 
the  road  for  the  traffic  or  the  cost  of  the  traffic  on  the  road 
in  repair.  Personally  I  know  very  little  about  the  economic 
value  of  the  traffic,  except  this:  that  in  round  numbers  it  is 
costing  us  in  this  country  25  cents  a  ton  a  mile  to  haul  our 
goods  and  to  haul  our  road  materials  and  to  haul  our  farm 
products.  It  is  costing  in  France  7  to  8  cents  a  ton  a  mile, 
and  one  of  the  engineers  in  England  who  had  in  his  county 
thirteen  steam  rollers  and  tractors,  in  that  one  county, 
told  me  that  he  had  gotten  his  road  material  down  now  to 
5  cents  a  ton  a  mile,  provided  he  had  more  than  a  mile  of 
haul,  and  was  hauling  it  by  a  traction  engine  with  two  trail- 
ers, carrying  6  tons^  on  the  engine  and  8  tons  on  the  two 


372  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

trailers.  Now  in  Massachusetts  we  allow  practically  25  cents 
a  mile  for  hauling  the  first  mile.  We  are  getting  it  done 
under  contract  for  considerably  less  than  that;  but  the  eco- 
nomic value  of  the  traffic,  or  rather  the  economic  value  of 
road  really  depends  on  what  that  road  has  got  to  perform  as 
a  duty  to  the  public.  I  think  at  some  time  in  the  very  near 
future  we  shall  have  to  adopt  restrictions  on  our  traffic  on 
the  kind,  class  and  character  of  traffic,  in  order  that  the 
money  we  are  spending  on  our  roads,  shall  not  be  taken  away 
from  us  by  some  one  or  two  or  three  persons  who  desire 
to  make  money  out  of  the  road,  and  make  too  much  money, 
more  than  their  fair  share. 

We  are  continually  hearing  talk  from  the  automobilists 
that  they  ought  not  to  pay  a  license  tax  if  they  also  pay  a 
property  tax.  Now  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  automobilists  I 
think  nowhere  pay  anything  like  what  they  are  costing  in 
the  increased  cost  of  both  construction  and  maintenance  of 
roads  except  on  paved  streets.  What  is  true  of  the  automo- 
bile is  even  more  true  of  the  truck.  In  Massachusetts  we 
have  adopted  substantially  the  French  and  English  rule  in 
regard  to  the  weight  of  the  traffic.  We  have  limited  it  to 
fourteen  tons,  including  vehicle  and  load.  .We  have  limited 
it  to  800  pounds  per  inch  width  of  tire,  or  whatever  rests  on 
the  road  surface,  no  matter  what  you  are  moving  over  the 
road,  and  we  have  provided  that  no  wheel  or  other  object 
moving  over  the  road  shall  have  any  attachment  that  will 
substantially  cut  into  or  injure  the  road  surface.  We  Jiave 
further  provided  that  when  anybody  does  injure  the  road 
by  using  what  he  is  not  entitled  to  use  by  law,  that  the  road 
authorities  can  recover  for  the  actual  damage  that  he  caused. 

Traffic  is  a  very  hard  thing  to  determine,  because  no  mat- 
ter in  what  way  you  try  to  determine  it,  you  have  got  to 
select  some  period,  as  it  is  not  worth  the  cost  to  count  all 
the  time.  In  Massachusetts  we  have  been  selecting  three- 
year  periods,  and  it  so  happens  that  this  year  is  our  third 
triennial.  You  find,  or  we  find  something  that  we  really 
don't  understand.  We  are  trying  to  build  our  roads  so  that 
they  will  be  sufficient  to  take  the  traffic  that  the  people  can 
carry  over  them,  but  we  are  unfortunately  finding  that  as  we 
improve  the  road  the  motor  vehicle  improves  faster.  The 
motor  vehicle  improves  faster  than  we  improve  the  road,  and 
we  really  can't  keep  up  or  keep  ahead.  We  have  now  got 
some  machines  in  Massachusetts  that  are  carrying  eighteen 
tons,  and  somebody  asked  us  the  other  day  for  a  permit  to 
move  eighteen  tons  on  one  road  over  the  bridges.  By  law 
in  our  state  the  town  authorities  or  the  county  authorities 
who  have  charge  of  the  bridges  can  post  a  bridge  so  that 
it  can't  have  any  more  than  three  tons  over  it  except  at  the 
risk  of  the  owner.  We  wrote  back  to  him  that  we  not  only 
wouldn't  grant  a  permit,  but  we  wished  to  notify  him  that 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  373 

the  bridges  over  which  he  was  going  to  travel  were  not 
sufficient  to  carry  eighteen  tons.  Formerly  all  of  our  state 
highway  bridges  in  Massachusetts  were  designed  really  to 
carry  fifteen  tons  with  a  factor  of  safety  of  four,  so  he 
wouldn't  hurt  those  probably,  but  he  would  break  the  little 
country  bridges.  We  now  design  them  to  carry  twenty 
tons,  with  a  factor  of  safety  of  four. 

It  has  never  seemed  to  me  that  it  was  right  for  any  one 
member  of  the  community,  no  matter  if  he  can  make  some 
money  for  himself  or  save  a  little  money,  to  destroy  the 
property  that  belongs  to  the  other  taxpayers.  Now  one 
truck  in  a  lumber  district  in  a  little  town  in  Massachusetts 
went  along  with  about  twelve  tons  and  it  destroyed  four 
bridges.  It  meant  three  dollars  on  the  tax  rate  in  that  town 
next  year  to  repair  those  bridges  in  that  town,  and  he  was 
just  one  citizen  of  the  town.  Now  that  does  not  seem  fair. 
Under  the  law  at  that  time  if  they  had  posted  the  bridges 
the  town  would  not  have  been  liable  for  damages,  but  the 
town  couldn't  recover  from  that  man  and  if  he  had  had  to 
pay  the  damage  he  had  caused,  rebuild  the  culverts,  it 
would  not  have  been  economical  for  him  to  use  the  trucks. 

You  will  find  in  the  reports  of  the  International  Road 
Congress,  and  the  reports  of  the  Road  Board  in  England,  a 
great  deal  of  interesting  information  on  the  subject  of  traf- 
fic, and  the  cost  of  the  upkeep  of  the  roads,  compared  to  the 
traffic  that  goes  over  them.  You  will  find  some  quite  inter- 
esting figures.  The  difficulty  with  figures  is  if  you  don't 
compare  them  with  some  other  figures,  they  don't  really 
mean  anything.  You  will  find  that  it  costs  to  keep  a  road 
up,  a  macadam  road  in  England,  for  instance,  all  the  way 
from  a  quarter  of  a  cent  a  ton  a  mile  to  a  cent  and  ^  quar- 
ter a  ton  a  mile.  You  will  find  if  you  figure  that  cost  and 
the  interest  on  the  cost  of  a  more  expensive  type  of  pave- 
ment, that  somewhere  around  a  half  of  a  cent  a  ton  a  mile  is 
a  dividing  line  between  where  it  is  economical  to  use 
macadam  and  keep  it  in  repair  as  they  do  in  England — and 
we  do  not  generally  in  this  country  keep  it  constantly  in  re- 
pair— somewhere  around  a  third  of  a  cent  a  ton  mile;  and 
it  is  cheaper  to  build  a  stronger  form  of  pavement,  paying 
according  to  the  traffic  all  the  way  from — I  am  using  our 
figures  in  Massachusetts — all  the  way  from  a  dollar  and  a 
half  per  square  yard  for  concrete,  or  a  dollar  eighty-five  for 
concrete  with  asphalt  top,  say,  to  three  dollars  or  three  dol- 
lars and  a  half  for  granite  block  on  a  concrete  base.  In 
other  words,  if  the  cost  of  upkeep  is  much  over  ten  to 
twelve  and  one-half  cents  a  square  yard  a  year,  you  can  bet- 
ter afford  to  pay  the  interest  and  sinking  fund  during  the 
life  of  the  road  on  a  more  expensive  form  of  pavement,  and 
at  the  end  of  twenty  years  you  will  find  that  you  have  spent 
less  money  than  you  would  have  spent  if  you  had  paid  say 


374  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

20  cents  a  square  yard  a  year  for  maintenance  instead  oi 
twelve  and  one-half  cents.  That  is  about  where  it  comes 
with  us. 

All  of  you  gentlemen  in  your  various  states  will  have  to 
figure  what  it  costs  you,  if  you  have  got  a  certain  class  and 
character  of  traffic.  For  instance,  I  just  received  a  telegram 
which  illustrates  how  little  one,  really  knows  about  roads. 
We  built  a  little  road  over  Hoosic  mountain,  in  Massachu- 
setts, called  the  Mohawk  Trail.  It  is  on  the  main  line  east 
and  west.  I  suppose  the  average  three  or  four  years  ago 
was  possibly  twenty  cars  a  day  and  seven  or  eight  or  ten 
teams,  and  anybody  that  went  over  that  road  who  didn't 
have  to  never  went  back.  I  had  to  because  we  were  im- 
proving the  road,  and  when  we  had  improved  that  road  we 
got  a  seven  and  one-quarter  per  cent,  grade  in  place  of  an 
eighteen  per  cent,  grade;  and  you  didn't  climb  over  any 
boulders  that  were  more  than  a  foot  high.  (Laughter.) 
But  you  take  an  eighteen  per  cent,  grade  and  boulders  a 
foot  high,  and  no  matter  what  your  car  is,  it  is  better  to 
have  a  steam  car.  We  usually  had  a  steam  car  on  that  trip. 
You  don't  repeat  the  experience,  especially  if  it  is  wet,  unless 
ycu  have  to. 

Now  last  year  we  opened  up  about  sixteen  miles  of  this 
new  road.  It  is  nothing  but  a  graded  dirt  road,  and  it  runs 
through  some  beautiful  scenery  and  forms  an  important  link 
in  the  main  through  road  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state. 
It  certainly  did  not  have  twenty-five  vehicles  a  day.  You 
would  hardly  know  what  you  were  to  anticipate  over  a  road 
of  that  kind;  but  I  just  received  a  telegram  from  my  Division 
Engineer,  who  was  not  satisfied  with  his  traffic  account  in 
August,  because  he  got  a  wet  Sunday,  and  we  find  Sundays 
are  about  33  per  cent,  of  the  week,  and  that  on  Sunday,  Sep- 
tember 5,  from  7  A.  M.  to  7  P.  M.  he  had  3,268  automobiles 
go  over  that  road,  where  less  than  SO  went  over,  vehicles  of 
all  kinds,  three  years  ago.  Now  we  expected  to  maintain 
that  road  as  a  graded  dirt  road.  We  have  got  a  section  gang 
every  six  miles.  We  are  dragging  it  always  after  the  rain, 
and  always  once  a  week,  and  we  have  to  use  a  light  oil  on  it. 
But  if  it  happens  to  be  a  rainy  day  and  we  get  a  thousand 
cars  over  that  in  a  day  you  are  bound  to  rut  any  dirt  road 
so  far  as  I  know.  At  any  rate  any  of  the  dirt  in  that  road 
will  get  rutty.  On  one  end  of  that  road  we  have  got  a 
sort  of  hardpan  which  is  almost  the  equivalent  of  gravel, 
and  that  is  very  good  except  it  is  a  little  slippery,  and  we 
have  to  sand  it.  That  illustrates,  I  think,  the  amount  of 
care  that  a  man  has  got  to  take  in  designing  his  road.  He 
does  not  realize,  and  it  takes  him  a  long  while  to  realize, 
what  his  traffic  figures  mean  when  he  has  them.  Seeing  that 
Mr.  White  was  going  to  talk  about  traffic,  I  though  last  night 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  375 

I  would  take  some  of  my  traffic  sheets  of  this  year  and  try  to 
see  what  they  meant;  try  to  see  if  I  could  say  anything  that 
would  be  of  value,  although  we  don't  regard  our  traffic  ac- 
count as  complete  until  we  have  got  a  week  in  October  as 
well  as  in  August.  I  found  there  was  not  a  great  deal  that  I 
could  select  out  of  the  figures. 

There  were,  however,  one  or  two  things  which  might  be 
helpful  to  some  of  you.  The  roads  in  and  around  Boston 
and  the  big  cities  have  all  shown  an  increase  in  traffic  this 
year  over  three  years  ago,  and  three  years  before  that;  that 
is,  just  about  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  automobiles 
registered.  In  other  words,  we  have  got  a  hundred  thousand 
cars  registered  now,  and  we  had  three  years  ago  something 
under  sixty  thousand,  we  had  six  years  ago  something  about 
thirty  thousand,  and  the  traffic  has  increased  substantially  in 
proportion  to  the  number  of  cars  that  have  been  registered; 
and  the  same  thing  has  been  true  of  other  states. 

Massachusetts  has  the  good  fortune  to  be  a  sort  of  a  play- 
ground, as  California  is,  and  so  all  our  neighboring  states 
come  into  our  state  in  summer,  and  we  think  that  about 
one-third  of  all  our  traffic,  so  far  as  we  can  find,  is  out  of 
state  cars.  We  found  one  or  two  things  that  really  do  make 
a  difference  in  what  you  have  got  to  do  on  your  roads.  In 
and  around  the  large  cities  the  traffic,  while  it  had  increased 
substantially  SO  per  cent,  since  three  years  ago,  had  in- 
creased almost  entirely  in  motor  vehicles  on  pneumatic  tires, 
and  please  note  the  pneumatic  tires.  A  pneumatic  tire  is 
never  giving  a  stress  on  the  road  of  more  than  80  pounds  or 
85  pounds  at  the  most  per  square  inch.  Now  if  you  will 
figure  that  out  you  will  find  that  it  does  not  put  any  real 
weight  on  the  road,  because  they  have  five  or  six  or  seven 
square  inches  in  contact  with  the  road  at  all  times,  so  that 
they  don't  crush  your  road.  We  found  that  we  could  easily 
take  care  of  any  number  within  reason.  At  any  rate  we 
could  easily  take  care  of  more  than  five  hundred  motor  cars 
a  day  on  pneumatic  tires,  on  a  gravel  road  with  a  coat  of 
light  oil,  or  possibly  two  coats  the  first  year,  and  constant 
patching.  We  cannot  take  care  of  100  motor  cars  a  day 
without  the  oil,  no  matter  if  we  shape  it  once  a  week.  It  is 
tco  expensive  and  the  road  is  never  in  good  condition.  We 
have  one  road  twenty-six  miles  long  of  gravel.  Six  years 
ago  it  carried  thirty-seven  cars  a  day,  three  years  ago  two 
hundred  and  fifty,  and  this  year  it  has  over  a  thousand  auto- 
mobiles a  day.  Now  three  years  ago  we  were  taking  care 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  motor  cars,  and  mind  you  that  road 
is  up  and  down  hill  in  the  country,  and  is  really  an  automo- 
bile speedway,  but  it  does  not  have  much  team  traffic.  Three 
years  ago  we  took  care  of  that  with  a  section  gang  every 
eight  miles,  shaped  it  up  once  a  week,  anyway,  with  a  road 


376  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

machine,  and  after  every  rain,  and  until  you  got  near  one  of 
the  larger  cities,  like  Lynn,  you  had  a  very  good  road.  It 
was  rather  rutted  on  Monday  morning,  because  fifty  per 
cent,  of  the  traffic  on  that  road,  as  on  all  of  our  through 
roads,  is  Saturday  and  Sunday.  Over  fifty  per  cent,  of  the 
whole  week,  and  Sunday  is  usually  thirty-three  per  cent,  of 
the  week.  We  have  used  the  light  oil  on  part  of  that  road, 
but  last  year  we  couldn't.  This  year  when  we  got  up  to  a 
thousand  cars  a  day  we  could  not  keep  that  road  by  the 
shaping  method  so  that  it  was  in  fit  condition  to  travel  over. 
It  was  rutted  at  least  six  inches  deep  every  Monday  morn- 
ing. If  any  of  you  have  ever  tried  to  drag  out  a  rut  six 
inches  deep  you  know  it  is  very  hard.  The  gravel  is  thrown 
out  by  the  cars.  You  can  only  drag  in  loose  gravel. 

Now  we  are  maintaining  it  for  less  money  with  oil  and 
constant  patching.  The  moment  you  use  two  quarter  gal- 
lon coats  of  oil  the  problem  of  maintenance  changes  from  the 
problem  of  dragging  and  shaping  the  road  every  Monday 
morning,  to  the  problem  of  patching  the  oil  road,  and  that 
we  are  doing  by  two  methods.  If  it  is  more  than  a  surface 
abrasion  of  the  oil,  if  it  is  an  inch  deep,  say,  a  little  chuck- 
hole,  we  are  filling  it  with  a  mixture  of  oil  and  gravel,  using 
stone  up  to  three-quarters  the  depth  of  the  hole.  If  it  is 
merely  that  the  oil  is  gone  off  the  surface,  we  give  it  a  paint 
coat  of  oil  and  throw  some  gravel  on  that,  and  let  the  man 
come  back  at  the  end  of  the  day  and  uncover. 

MR.  ROY:     What  grade  of  oil  do  you  use  for  that? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  We  use  on  that  about  a  forty-five 
per  cent,  oil  the  first  time,  to  get  a  penetration.  We  found 
if  we  used  a  sixty-five,  which  we  like  to  use  and  do  use, 
by  the  way,  on  macadam  roads,  it  depends  entirely  on  how 
hard  your  road  is.  If  on  the  rough  roads  we  used  sixty-five 
per  cent.,  the  heaviest  oil  you  can  put  on  cold,  we  found  it 
broke  up  and  went  into  chuckholes  much  faster  than  the 
light  oil  did;  and  putting  on  two  coats  of  light  oil  this  sea- 
son, or  after  we  have  got  the  road  in  shape,  the  next  year 
it  usually  takes  about  two  coats  of  one-fifth  or  one-quarter 
gallon  of  the  lighter  oil;  in  fact,  you  could  use  hot  oil  if  you 
wanted  to,  after  your  road  is  once  thoroughly  oiled,  shaped 
and  compacted.  We  have  done  that  with  pretty  good  re- 
sults in  some  places.  On  the  light  material  we  tried  some 
of  the  Texas  oil,  about  sixty-five  per  cent,  oil,  and  it  was 
not  any  good  at  all,  and  we  had  to  go  back  to  a  much  lighter 
oil,  in  order  to  get  as  good  results  on  gravel  or  dirt  which 
was  more  or  less  loose.  In  other  words,  the  lighter  oil  will 
help  you  to  pack  the  material,  and  in  the  end  you  get  a  crust 
of  perhaps  two  or  three  inches.  I  am  not  saying  that  you 
can  do  that  on  dirt,  but  I  think  you  can  .do  it  on  reasonably 
sandy  and  gravelly  roads  if  you  haven't  got  much  team  traf- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  377 

fic.  By  the  way,  I  shall  be  glad  if  anybody  will  ask  me  any- 
thing at  any  time.  I  didn't  have  anything  to  say  this  morn- 
ing and  that  is  the  reason  I  am  talking  so  much.  (Laugh- 
ter.) 

Now  one  thing  that  has  made  a  difference,  as  I  started  to 
say  a  minute  ago,  in  what  we  have  got  to  do  in  the  future; 
the  one  lesson  I  was  reading  out  of  that  traffic  paper  was 
this:  I  don't  see  anything  that  is  making  much  difference  in 
what  you  have  got  to  do  to  your  road  at  various  places,  ex- 
cept this:  The  single  horse  light  vehicle  has  departed  from 
most  of  our  roads.  The  single  horse  heavy  vehicle  has  di- 
minished something  like  50  per  cent,  in  six  years,  and  25 
per  cent,  in  the  last  three  years.  The  double  horse  light  ve- 
hicle really  doesn't  exist.  Road  after  road  where  there  used 
to  be  25  or  30  two-horse  light  vehicles,  now  have  none. 
The  two-horse  heavy  vehicle  has  on  the  whole  decreased 
about  15  to  25  per  cent.,  and  around  the  cities  the  weight  of 
traffic  has  not  increased  materially.  I  am  now  speaking  of 
the  traffic  roads  around  the  city,  although  that  double  horse 
vehicle  has  been  replaced  by  the  motor  truck.  A  road  that 
had  an  average  of  seventeen  motor  trucks  a  day  three  years 
ago  now  has  seventy-five  to  a  hundred.  I  don't  think  that 
really  makes  much  difference  on  the  roads  that  had  a  hun- 
dred two-horse  heavy  vehicles,  for  the  reason  that  you  can- 
not maintain  a  road  to  carry  two  hundred  three-ton  loads 
with  iron  tires,  without  building  it  at  least  as  good  as  a 
macadam  road.  You  can't  maintain  it  economically.  I  think 
you  would  find  if  you  tried  to  maintain  a  dirt  road  for  near 
two  hundred  three-ton  loads  a  day,  it  would  never  be  in  good 
order;  it  would  always  be  rutted,  and  it  would  always  have 
holes.  You  might  shape  it  every  single  morning,  but  if  it 
has  got  to  carry  3,000  tons  a  day  it  is  going  to  wear  out  at 
once.  We  had  an  experience,  by  the  way,  when  Mr.  Frick 
built  a  house  in  Beverly.  He  had  a  very  handsome  place, 
and  among  other  items  he  had  200,000  yards  of  filling,  and 
he  had  a  hundred  thousand  yards  of  loam,  and  by  the  way 
for  the  fiilling  he  paid  $1  a  yard  and  for  the  loam  $2  a  yard. 
That  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  what  he  hauled  over 
the  road  to  build  stone  fences;  iron  bars,  to  build  his  home 
and  build  his  stables  and*  build  all  the  other  things;  but 
actually  there  was  300,000  yards  of  material  hauled  over  a 
new  macadam  road  and  it  wore  down  "over  two  inches  in 
one  season.  I  don't  know  whether  Mr.  Frick  is  the  only 
man  in  the  country  that  looked  at  it  from  the  point  of  view 
that  I  was  looking  at  it  a  moment  ago,  that  one  member  of 
the  community  has  not  got  the  right  to  charge  the  other 
members  more  than  his  fair  share  towards  what  he  was 
doing,  but  Mr.  Frick  said,  "practically  I  have  ruined  the 
road  from  the  siding  down  to  my  house.  Now  I  would  like 


378  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

you  to  put  that  road  back  in  as  good  order  or  better  than 
it  was  before,  and  send  the  bill  to  me  and  I  will  pay  it."  He 
did  pay  the  bill.  So  that  year,  when  it  was  two  years  old, 
we  rebuilt  the  road  and  it  needed  over  two  inches  of  stone 
tc  do  that.  It  took  about  22  to  25  tons  to  the  hundred  feet 
ot  road. 

What  I  was  saying  a  minute  ago  on  the  city  roads,  mind 
you  the  traffic  had  increased  tremendously,  don't  understand 
it  hadn't, — increased  50  per  cent, — but  the  weight  in  traffic 
in  either  iron  tires  or  trucks  had  not  very  materially  in- 
creased, not  more  than  ten  per  cent.;  whereas  the  automo- 
biles on  pneumatic  tires  increased  50  per  cent.,  which  shows 
that  in  trying  to  find  out  the  value  of  the  traffic,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  deciding  what  class  of  road  you  are  going  to  build, 
you  want  to  know  exactly  the  class  of  traffic.  You  can't  do 
it  by  calling  it  so  many  automobiles  of  so  many  tons.  As  I 
said  a  minute  ago,  we  can  take  care  of  five  hundred  automo- 
biles a  day  on  a  graveled  road,  oil  top,  if  we  don't  have  the 
teams.  The  next  thing  I  found  in  the  figures  is  this,  and 
this  is  really  a  significant  thing  to  you  gentlemen  who  are 
building  through  the  country.  Our  purpose  is  to  build  a 
through  country  road,  and  help  the  little  towns  to  build  their 
roads.  We  are  to  build  165  miles  of  road  in  some  45  towns 
in  Massachusetts  in  the  next  three  years,  where  the  legis- 
lature made  a  special  appropriation  of  two  million  and  a  half 
dollars,  and  most  of  that  has  got  to  be  a  country  road.  But 
in  building  that  country  road,  we  have  got  to  consider  what 
is  going  on  it  after  it  is  built;  whether  it  is  going  to  be  in  the 
class  of  the  road  that  increased  from  35  cars  a  day  to  500 
cars.  What  was  really  significant  in  the  figures  is  this:  We 
have  a  good  many  cities  of  from  50,000  to  100,000  inhabitants 
that  are  situated  within  about  36  miles  from  Boston.  There 
are  twelve  cities  for  instance  of  about  100,000,  and  all  situated 
within  about 'fifty  miles  of  Boston;  and  on  some  of  the  lines 
there  are  two  or  three  cities  within  that  same  distance,  go- 
ing out  north,  for  example,  but  on  all  of  those  through  routes, 
you  will  find  that  where  three  years  ago  you  got  seven,  ten  or 
fifteen  trucks,  that  this  year  you  are  getting  75  to  100.  And 
on  every  through  road,  many  of  which  had  no  motor  trucks 
whatever  three  years  ago,  you  are  now  getting  35  to  50  a 
day.  All  up  and  down  the  Connecticut  valley  the  delivery 
of  all  the  fruit  and  a  good  deal  of  meat  is  being  made  by 
motor  truck,  and  that  is  an  experience  I  thing  you  are  all 
going  to  get.  All  of  our  large  stores  in  Boston,  our  fur- 
niture stores,  our  dry  goods  stores,  run  regular  routes  of 
delivery  once  or  twice  a  week,  or  sometimes  every  day, 
twenty  miles  and  thirty  miles  and  forty  miles  out  of  Boston 
and  delliver  without  charge. 

Now  the  reason  of  that  is  its  economic  value.     As  far  as  I 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  379 

can  find  out  it  is  not  really  that  the  truck  can  haul  goods 
cheaper  than  the  railroad;  quite  the  contrary;  but  that  having 
only  one  handling  at  each  end,  putting  them  in  a  truck  where 
they  wrap  them  up  only  in  burlap  instead  of  casing  them  for 
the  railroad,  and  taking  the  burlaps  back  when  they  have 
delivered  them  in  your  home,  they  actually  have  cost  less  on 
account  of  the  handling  than  it  would  have  cost  to  send  them 
on  the  railroad.  Although,  as  far  as  I  can  find  out,  prac- 
tically all  of  those  trucks  are  costing  from  20  to  30  cents  a 
mile  to  operate,  including  depreciation.  I  would  like  to  in- 
quire if  Mr.  Connell  has  come  in.  I  don't  want  to  monop- 
olize this  morning.  Has  Mr.  Stern  come  in?  Gentlemen, 
there  are  very  few  of  us  present,  and  I  feel  that  I  don't  want 
to  do  all  the  talking.  We  have  asked  Mr.  Stern  to  come 
down. 

Mr.  Light  says  he  would  like  me  to  read  this  resolution 
adopted  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  American  Highway  As- 
sociation yesterday. 

"Whereas  the  American  Highway  Association  earnestly 
favors  harmony  and  correlation  of  the  organized  good  roads 
movement  throughout  the  United  States,  it  is  ordered  that  a 
special  committee  of  seven  members  be  appointed  by  the 
chair  and  empowered  to  confer  with  similar  committees  from 
other  organizations,  and  to  consider  and  present  to  the  asso- 
ciation at  a  subsequent  meeting  or,  prior  to  such  meeting  at 
a  meeting  of  the  board  of  directors,  suitable  recommendations 
or  changes  in  the  constitution  and  by-laws  and  the  working 
plan  of  the  association  as  will  best  secure  the  desired  results, 
as  well  as  to  bring  into  closer  relations  the  efforts  for  road 
improvement  in  the  eastern  and  western  portions  of  the 
United  States.  The  Chairman  of  the  meeting  will  be  the 
chairman  of  the  committee."  The  six  appointed  were  the 
following  gentlemen:  S.  E.  Bradt,  Illinois,  Chairman;  W.  R. 
Roy,  Washington-  A.  B.  Fletcher,  California;  W.  D.  Sohier, 
Massachusetts;  T.  H.  MacDonald,  Iowa;  W.  E.  Atkinson, 
Louisiana;  G.  P.  Coleman,  Virginia;  F.  F.  Rogers,  Michigan. 
The  meeting  of  the  committee  is  called  for  one  o'clock  sharp 
today,  September  17,  Hotel  Oakland,  Room  101. 

Gentlemen,  there  is  an  automobile  trip  tomorrow,  which 
has  been  arranged  for  the  delegates,  and  if  any  of  you  have 
not  already  told  Mr.  Pennybacker  that  you  are  going  and 
have  not  gotten  your  name  on  the  list,  it  will  be  necessary 
for  you  to  register  your  name  not  later  than  2  o'clock  today 
in  Room  200  Hotel  Oakland.  If  you  turn  up  tomorrow  they 
will  not  have  accommodations  for  you,  but  if  you  register  to- 
day they  will  try  to  take  everybody  who  wishes  to  go.  It 
has  been  the  purpose,  I  think,  of  the  managers,  that  if  we 
can  get  hold  of  Mr.  Stern  to  get  him  to  deliver  his  paper  this 
morning,  so  that  you  could  all  have  an  opportunity  this 


380  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

afternoon  to  go  to  the  fair.  They  have  noticed,  not  unex- 
pectedly perhaps,  that  there  are  so  many  attractions  in  San 
Francisco  that  a  great  many  of  the  members  go  over  there, 
instead  of  listening  to  the  words  of  wisdom  which  they  hear 
here.  I  don't  want  to  say  anything  more,  but  I  should  be 
very  glad  to  answer  any  question,  or  to  have  anybody  dis- 
cuss Mr.  Linn  White's  paper  on  the  Economic  Value  of  Traf- 
fic and  Traffic  Accounts. 

MR.  WHITE:  What  kind  of  hard  surface  roads  are  you 
building? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  Well,  we  are  building,  as  I  think 
everybody  is,  of  the  best  material  that  we  can  obtain  for  rea- 
sonable cost,  which  will  do  the  work.  It  depends  entirely  on 
what  we  believe  is  necessary  for  the  traffic.  We  are  building 
concrete  with  1:1^:3  mix,  and  in  some  places  that  is  as  cheap 
a  material  as  we  can  build  our  roads  of.  That  is  costing  us 
about  $1.40  a  square  yard. 

MR.  WHITNEY:     Is  that  reinforced? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  No.  We  did  reinforce  some,  but 
it  has  all  got  contraction  joints.  The  pavement  is  an  average 
of  7  inches  thick,  to  8  in  the  middle  and  6  on  the  side,  and  18 
feet  wide.  By  the  way,  we  found  that  where  we  had  18  feet 
we  had  quite  a  number  of  vehicles  that  went  off  the  side. 
Where  we  built  19^2  feet  there  hasn't  been  a  single  vehicle 
that  went  over  the  side.  Whether  that  is  a  psychological  fact 
or  not,  I  do  not  know.  I  think  you  must  remember  that  in 
Massachusetts  we  have  anywhere  from  12  inches  to  5  feet  of 
frost,  and  we  have  found  that  our  concrete  roads  crack  and 
become  thrown,  where  we  built  them  on  a  poor  bottom.  We 
built  a  concrete  road  about  two  miles  and  a  half  long,  and 
we  have  measured  it  very  carefully.  It  was  8  inches  thick  in 
the  middle  and  6  inches  on  the  side,  and  cost  about  $1.40  a 
square  yard.  We  thought  we  would  copy  Wayne  country, 
Michigan,  and  we  took  a  place  where  if  we  had  been  going 
to  build  a  bituminous  macadam  we  would  have  put  a  stone 
Telford  foundation  under  it,  or  gravel,  digging  out  the  sub- 
soil. We  put  a  little  drainage  in.  We  put  a  foundation  of 
gravel  under  some  of  that  road,  and  wherever  we  did  that 
the  .road  is  perfect.  But  it  was  a  very  wet  country.  It  didn't 
do  what  in  my  judgment  has  been  the  real  success  of  the 
Wayne  county  road.  It  did  not  heave  evenly. 

I  was  amused  one  time  when  Mr.  Bartlett  came  down  with 
the  president  of  his  company.  I  don't  know  whether  you 
know  Mr.  Bartlett.  If  you  have  ever  been  around  conven- 
tions at  Detroit  anywhere,  you  probably  do.  They  happened 
to  come  in  the  office  one  day  when  I  had  just  got  our  figures. 
I  said,  "Mr.  Bartlett,  you  will  be  a  little  interested  in  these 
figures."  You  see  a  good  many  things  out  in  Detroit  that 
you  won't  see  here,  because  we  don't  build  our  roads  the  way 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  381 

you  do.  I  told  him  I  asked  the  county  engineer  out  there 
how  much  his  road  was  thrown  by  frost,  and  he  told  me  that 
he  had  only  had  five  cases  where  the  road  was  thrown  by 
frost;  only  five  cases,  I  think.  I  had  looked  at  the  soil  in 
Detroit  where  the  water  was  up  within  six  inches  of  the  road, 
and  I  knew  the  temperature  went  down  below  zero,  and  I 
knew  that  we  never  built  a  macadam  road  in  Massachusetts 
that  was  not  thrown  at  least  two  to  three  inches  by  frost 
every  year,  and  expanded,  also  came  back  again,  and  I 
couldn't  believe  him.  I  haven't  the  slightest  doubt  his  roads 
were  thrown  every  year  three  inches  by  frost,  at  any  rate  on 
the  road  I  measured,  and  I  showed  Mr.  Bartlett  our  road  was 
everywhere  thrown  at  least  a  minimum  of  two  inches.  Mind 
you  that  was  a  seven-inch  road  with  30  feet  contraction 
joints.  I  am  saying  contraction,  because  they  really  are  con- 
traction, though  the  road  will  expand  in  hot  weather  after 
setting;  but  the  real  reason  for  making  the  joints  is  that  the 
concrete  contracts  when  it  sets  up.  It  doesn't  expand.  It 
contracts.  By  the  way,  it  contracts  more  in  setting  than  it 
ever  expands  again.  Wherever  that  road  was  thrown  two 
to  three  inches,  and  thrown  evenly  on  both  sides,  it  settled 
back  again  without  cracking.  There  was  no  place  on  the 
road  that  was  thrown  less  than  two  inches.  Wherever  that 
road  was  thrown  two  inches  on  one  side  and  six  inches  on 
the  other,  there  is  a  longitudinal  crack,  no  matter  whether 
it  is  reinforced  or  not.  Two  of  our  slabs  didn't  settle  back 
evenly,  and  I  think  those  five  places  in  Wayne  county  where 
his  slabs  didn't  settle  back  evenly,  they  considered  the  only 
places  where  the  road  had  been  thrown. 

We  have  taken  more  pains  in  our  foundation  and  drainage 
on  our  later  roads,  or  shall  take  more  pains  on  our  concrete 
roads  in  the  future;  and  we  are  hoping  that  the  ones  we  build 
now  are  not  going  to  get  thrown  enough  to  hurt  them,  be- 
cause I  think  the  difference  between  our  experience  and  theirs 
was  that  our  road  was  thrown  very  unequally.  We  had 
places  where  so  much  water  came  in  that  the  road  was 
thrown  10  inches  on  one  side  and  only  three  on  the  other 
side  of  the  slab.  There  had  been  no  water  'there  when  the 
road  was  built.  Where  the  road  heaves  two  inches  on  one 
side  and  five  and  a  half  to  ten  inches  on  the  other  side,  we 
have  got  a  crack.  We  don't  think  they  are  serious.  We  fill 
them  with  tar  and  sand,  or  asphalt  and  sand,  and  while  the 
patches  look  a  little  like  a  rag  on  a  sore  thumb,  we  expect 
to  find  that  road  a  good  one  many  years  hence  after  I  have 
gone  off  the  commission. 

J.  T.  HOWE  (Houston  Texas):  You  mentioned  a  little 
v/hile  ago  that  you  had  trouble  with  a  certain  kind  of  Texas 
oil.  Have  you  abandoned  the  use  of  Texas  oil? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:     No,  Mr.  Howe.    We  are  using 


382  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

Texas  oil  a  great  deal,  as  much  as  any  other  brand.  We  are 
using  a  great  many  brands  of  oil.  What  I  said  was  this: 
We  were  using  the  lighter  oils  the  first  time  on  a  road  with 
loose  gravel  or  dirt,  and  we  found  the  Texas  65  flaked  and 
scaled  off  quicker  than  the  lighter  Texas. 

MR.  HOWE:  I  have  had  that  same  trouble  with  the 
scaling  with  the  Texas  oil,  and  we  have  been  unable  to  get 
results  out  of  Texas  oil  on  the  gravel  roads.  I  was  wonder- 
ing if  you  had  exactly  the  same  experience  there  and  had 
given  up  the  use  of  it. 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  I  think  on  the  whole  that  Texas 
oil,  in  fact  several  very  good  oils,  are  not  really  well  adapted 
to  a  loose  gravel  road  or  dirt  road  if  you  use  too  heavy  an 
oil  the  first  time.  If  your  road  is  well  packed,  the  Texas  is 
very  good,  and  we  have  got  a  great  many  miles  of  Texas 
oil  on  old  macadam  base,  where  we  have  used  Texas  45. 
And  we  have  used  Texas  about  65  with  pea-stone  and  sand, 
where  the  road  is  many  years  old.  And  everybody  goes 
over  it  and  says,  what  a  beautiful  road.  As  far  as  the  auto- 
mobile roads  are  concerned  we  get  complimented  more  on 
these  roads  than  any  other  road.  On  the  old  macadam  roads 
over  twenty  years  old,  many -of  them  have  never  had  any- 
thing but  a  blanket  coat  of  oil  with  pea-stone  and  sand 
rolled  on  top. 

MR.  ROY:  In  using  that  45  per  cent,  oil,  how  much  do 
you  use  on  the  first  application? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  We  put  on  a  quarter  of  a  gallon 
to  the  square  yard. 

Is  Mr.  Perry  Brown,  city  engineer  of  Oakland,  or  Mr. 
Connell  present?  Mr.  Crosby  says  you  and  I  can  have  a 
lovely  time  if  we  only  stay  here  until  twelve,  as  Mr.  Brown 
and  Mr.  Connell  are  at  the  Hotel  and  will  get  here  if  they 
can.  '  If  they  can't,  Mr.  Connell  will  submit  his  paper  in 
writing  so  that  there  will  not  be  any  afternoon  session.  We 
would  be  very  glad,  if  any  gentleman  here  has  got  any  re- 
marks he  would  like  to  make,  if  he  would  get  up  and  make 
them. 

MR.  REED:  I  feel  we  are  learning  now  as  it  is,  I  don't 
think  we  can  improve  on  what  we  are  getting.  I  would  like 
to  know  if  you  have  had  any  experience  with  paint  coats  in 
the  way  of  tars  or  asphalt  on  concrete? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  Yes,  Mr.  Reed.  We  put  down 
a  pavement  in  1906  on  a  through  road.  It  was  a  six-inch 
Hassam  pavement.  The  horses  slipped  when  they  got  on 
the  Hassam  pavement.  The  Hassam  pavement  is  a  grouted 
concrete  pavement.  We  have  seen  some  good  and  some 
poor  results  with  it  in  Massachusetts.  That  particular  road 
is  in  perfect  condition  today,  put  down  in  1906.  In  1908  it 
began  to  develop  some  little  pot  holes  about  half  an  inch 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  383 

deep.  We  decided  that  we  weren't  going  to  let  that  develop, 
so  we  tried  to  fill  those  places  with  sand  and  tar.  We  did. 
They  stayed.  Then  in  1908  there  was  a  half  gallon  of  tar 
put  over  that  whole  road  with  pea-stone  and  sand  rolled 
into  it.  It  made  a  coating  that  was  almost  half  an  inch 
thick.  That  didn't  require  any  patching  for  two  years.  It 
was  patched  in  1911  quite  extensively,  and  it  was  given  a 
quarter  of  a  gallon  in  1913.  It  has  begun  to  need  patching 
again.  Before  we  gave  it  the  quarter  of  a  gallon  coat,  by 
the  way,  we  patched  every  single  hole  there  was  in  it,  so  it 
was  an  even  quarter  of  a  gallon,  and  it  certainly  has  been  a 
perfectly  good  >oad.  I  think  that  is  the  place  where  the 
value  of  the  traffic  has  come  in.  That  particular  road  is  in 
Spencer,  and  I  am  not  quite  sure  whether  I  have  got  that 
here  or  not.  That  tar  surface  is  perfect.  But  let  me  say 
that  we  did  the  same  thing  in  Long  Meadow,  which  is  just 
south  of  Springfield,  and  the  tar  went  off  inside  of  two 
months  and  was  not  any  good  at  all.  We  are  putting  two 
inches  of  Warrenite  on  that  road  this  year.  Now  the  reason 
of  that  is  just  what  I  was  talking  about,  or  what  Mr.  Linn 
White  was  to  talk  about.  In  one  week  the  total  number  of 
heavy  single  horse  vehicles  for  Brookfield  was  101.  The 
total  number  of  two  horse  heavy  vehicles,  36,  and  the  total 
number  of  automobiles  was  4,000.  The  total  number  of  mo- 
tor trucks  was  134.  Now  during  that  week  in  Long  Meadow 
the  total  number  of  single  horse  heavy  vehicles  was  126, 
the  total  number  of  two  horse  heavy  vehicles  was  141  and 
there  were  over  550  light  teams.  I  don't  know  whether  you 
carry  those,  but  it  is  141  against  36.  Now  the  total  number 
of  automobiles  was  6,600  and  the  trucks  535.  You  see  the 
reason  that  the  tar  worked  in  one  place  and  didn't  work  in  the 
other.  In  our  judgment,  at  any  rate,  the  reason  is  that  there 
were  so  many  horse-drawn  vehicles  that  they  cut  down 
through  the  tar  to  trie  concrete,  and  there  were  not  enough 
motor  vehicles  to  roll  it  down,  whereas  in  the  other  case 
there  were  not  enough  iron-tire  vehicles  to  cut  that  tar. 
I  just  saw  a  gentleman  from  Ann  Arbor,  and  I  think  they 
had  exactly  the  same  experience  we  had. 

We  just  laid  a  concrete  pavement  at  Somerville,  right  out 
of  Boston,  with  heavy  traffic,  and  we  laid  it  some  inches  be- 
low the  curb  line  with  the  idea  that  in  two  or  three  years 
we  would  probably  have  to  put  two  inches  of  some  form  of 
bituminous  material  on  top  of  that.  By  the  way,  I  want 
to  say  we  have  been  using  oil  since  1906  for  blanket  treat- 
ment. On  all  the  main  roads  in  Massachusetts  you  have  got 
to  use  some  kind  of  binder,  because  you  have  got  over  100 
cars  a  day  in  the  summer  season,  and  you  usually  have  an 
average  of  500  a  day. 

You   will   never  make   a   success   with   oil   or   tar,   in   our 


384  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

judgment,  unless  you  thoroughly  clean  your  road  and  com- 
pact it  before  you  put  it  on,  unless  you  patch  your  holes  so 
that  they  will  shed  water  when  you  get  it  on;  because  other- 
wise the  oil  will  stay  in  that  hole,  and  unless  you  keep  it 
covered  for  a  little  while  it  will  be  picked  up  and  carried  off 
by  the  vehicles.  I  have  seen  a  fresh  coat  of  oil  put  on  a 
road  that  had  two  coats  of  light  oil  before,  and  this  was  a 
coat  of  the  heavy  oil  about  the  same  as  the  California  oil, 
and  a  team  going  along  over  that  would  pull  up  not  only 
the  oil,  but  pull  up  at  least  an  inch  of  stone,  with  the  old  oil 
underneath,  simply  because  somebody  was  bound  to  go  over 
the  fresh  oil  before  we  got  a  covering  on  it  so-  that  he 
couldn't  pick  it  up.  It  was  good  oil  and  it  stuck.  That  is 
the  only  test  that  I  know  of  that  is  really  good.  A  good 
oil  ought  to  string  out  and  not  be  short,  and  it  ought  to 
stick.  You  can  use  a  little  bit  of  dust-laying  oil  on  a  road, 
but  you  want  to  use  mighty  little.  If  you  have  got  any  oil 
that  when  you  put  it  on  your  fingers  you  can  rub  off,  it 
i?  not  a  good  oil  to  use  on  a  road.  If  you  dig  your  pencil 
into  it,  and  you  have  to  cut  the  wood  off  the  pencil  before 
you  take  the  asphalt  off  the  wood,  it  is  good.  If  you  can 
rub  it  off  on  a  sheet  of  note  paper,  it  is  not  a  good  oil  to 
use,  and  I  don't  think  our  chemical  analyses  are  as  good  as 
that  test.  And  yet  we  analyze  everything  and  have  for 
many  years,  but  we  are  sometimes  fooled  by  our 
analyses.  There  is  something  lacking.  There  is  a  breaking 
up,  in  my  judgment,  of  the  molecules  of  the  hydrocarbon  in 
the  process  of  manufacture  somewhere,  and  until  you  come 
down  to  analyzing  the  atom,  I  don't  think  you  are  going 
to  come  to  know  what  you  are  using  and  whether  it  will 
succeed  as  well  as  you  will  by  the  simple  old  fashioned  tests 
that  they  use,  like  the  chewing  test  for  tar;  the  fact  that 
the  tar  and  sand  mix  will  crawl  a  long  time;  or,  with  the 
asphalts,  that  they  string  along  before  they  break,  and  that 
you  can't  rub  them  off  your  finger.  We  forget  that  we  form- 
erly used  a  great  deal  of  these  paraffine  road  oils,  and  every 
one  of  those  roads  had  gone  into  mush.  It  crawls  and  rolls 
and  isn't  a  binder. 

MR.  COBB:     What  covering  dp  you  use? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  I  am  going  to  answer  that  in 
two  ways.  If  we  possibly  can  we  use  peastone  and  sand,  or 
pea  gravel  and  sand.  Where  that  is  too  expensive  we  use 
sand.  If  we  are  laying  the  dust  and  trying  to  prevent  the 
oil  picking  up,  why  we  even  use  dust.  We  sometimes  use 
the  dirt  along  the  roadside.  Where  we  have  a  fifteen-mile 
haul  it  would  cost  us  a  great  deal  to  put  the  sand  in.  But 
we  think  the  peastone  and  sand  pays  with  any  good  grade 
of  oil  on  the  macadam  roads,  using  about  SO  per  cent,  of  pea- 
stone  and  50  per  cent,  of  sand.  Then  we  keep  a  man  on 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  385 

those  roads  for  ten  days,  perhaps,  keeping  it  covered;  but 
a  thousand  cars  a  day  will  throw  the  covering  off  in  the 
course  of  a  day.  We  find  it  is  much  cheaper  to  patch  our 
holes  before  they  are  holes,  on  our  macadam  road.  We  have 
a  gang  every  six  miles  on  the  part  of  the  road  that  we 
li£.ve  been  oiling,  with  a  team  carrying  oil  and  covering 
with  a  couple  of  men,  or  three  men,  after  a  wet  season,  and 
we  patch  every  hole.  We  patch  all  the  holes  on  the  road 
before  they  are  holes,  with  a  paint  coat,  and  a  little  covering 
on  top  that  is  much  cheaper  than  it  is  to  wait  until  you  get 
the  holes  and  then  fill  them  up. 

MR.  COBB:  Do  you  patch  with  the  same  oil  that  you  use 
in  covering  the  road? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  In  the  summer  season  we  are 
using  65  per  cent,  oil  for  patching  the  holes  more  than  an 
inch  deep,  using  stone  three-quarters  of  the  depth  of  the 
hole.  In  the  winter  we  are  finding  Headley  oil  works  better 
than  other  oils.  We  are  using  some  Headley  oil.  I  didn't 
mean  to  mention  that  oil  by  name,  because  it  is  the  same  I 
think  as  several  others,  but  that  is  a  fluxed  oil.  It  acts  very 
much  the  same  as  an  asphalt  oil.  My  idea  is  that  the  as- 
phalt oil  is  fluxed  with  lime  or  something  like  that. 

MR.  REED:     What  is  your  method  of  applying  the  oil? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  We  are  applying  the  oil  every- 
where under  pressure.  We  applied  the  first  with  a  White 
machine  that  they  invented  out  here  in  California,  applying 
by  gravity.  That  we  had  in  1908.  But  the  last  year  or  two 
we  are  using  pressure  entirely.  Any  one  of  those  little 
horse  machines  of  the  Good  Roads  Machinery  Company  will 
spread  any  one  of  the  cold  oils  very  well.  The  hot  oils  we 
are  spraying  under  pressure  with  a  truck  that  has  got  heat  in 
it,  and  quite  a  number  of  the  companies  are  delivering  a  very 
heavy  asphalt  under  heavy  pressure  kept  hot.  They  deliver 
Standard  A  or  B.  They  will  deliver  Montezuma  on  the  road 
anywhere  and  spread  it.  Also  Bermudez,  and  many  others. 
That  we  are  using  on  the  roads  where  we  are  using  the 
heavier  asphalt. 

MR.  CORLEW  (Utah)  :  I  don't  like  to  bring  up  any  par- 
ticular brand  of  road  surfacings,  but  I  would  like  to  ask  you 
if  you  have  used  and  what  experience  you  have  had  with 
Tarvia  B  on  macadam  roads. 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  We  have  used  Tarvia  B,  and  we 
have  used  Tarite,  with  both  good  and  poor  results.  Mr. 
Sharpies  is  here  and  he  probably  would  like  a  chance  to  say 
something  about  that.  The  Tarvia  B  we  are  using  a  good 
deal  on  roads  originally  built  as  tar  roads.  After  the  sec- 
ond year,  to  prevent  that  tar  from  losing  its  life,  we  are 
coating  with  Tarvia  B  and  peastone  as  we  would  any  other 
road,  and  that  seems  to  give  very  good  results.  We  have 


386  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

not  used  as  much  of  it  as  many  cities  and  towns  around 
our  way  have,  of  any  of  the  tars,  either  Tarvia  B  or  Tarvia 
A  or  Ugite.  They  have  had  most  excellent  results  in  Mary- 
land with  Ugite,  also  with  Tarvia.  We  have  got  some  roads 
we  are  very  proud  of.  The  Tarvia  B,  I  don't  believe  is  much 
good  except  when  the  surface  is  good.  It  doesn't  contain 
binder  enough  to  make  the  road  bind.  We  used  to  use  the 
Tarvia  A  and  now  we  use  the  X-7,  and  then  you  will  find,  as 
they  do  in  England,  that  after  two  years  you  ought  to  put 
on  a  surface  coat. 

MR.  JEWKES:  I  do  not  wish  to  divert  from  the  ques- 
tion, but  before  you  conclude  I  would  like  to  have  some  of 
your  experience  in  the  way  of  maintaining  earth  roads.  I 
notice  you  stated  you  had  a  section  gang  every  six  miles. 
I  would  like  to  know  of  what  number  they  consist  and  in 
the  shaping  of  your  roads  what  road  machinery  you  use, 
whether  a  grader  or  a  drag,  and  if  the  drag  is  used,  what 
kind. 

CHAIRMAN 'SOHIER:  Well,  there  are  a  lot  of  gentle- 
men that  can  answer  for  the  dirt  road  much  better  than  J 
can.  Take  the  road  north  of  Boston.  On  that  road  we  have 
to  use  a  grader,  and  we  are  getting  our  best  results  with 
constant  grading  with  the  two-wheel  light  grader;  but  in 
the  spring  we  would  use  the  regular  four-wheel  heavy  road 
machine  to  clean  out  the  gutters.  Now  for  the  dirt  road  we 
are  finding  that  a  log  drag  works  better  than  the  grader, 
and  it  is  much  easier.  We  have  got  quite  a  few  miles  of 
dirt  road  that  we  are  using  the  log  drag  on.  By  dirt  road  I 
mean  dirt.  I  think  the  log  drag  really  works  better  than  the 
grader,  unless  you  want  to  shape  the  road.  It  has  taken 
twenty  years  to  learn  that  sod  doesn't  make  a  good  road. 
That  is  what  they  are  apt  to  get  with  a  grader.  If  you  take 
the  sod  and  throw  it  out  of  the  road,  you  will  find  that  some 
of  the  light  shapers  will  grade  your  road  better.  On  the 
other  hand,  take  a  hard  gravel,  and  we  have  found  we  have 
got  to  use  one  of  the  graders.  Is  that  what  you  meant? 

MR.  JEWKES:  Some  use  the  steel  and  some  use  the 
wooden.  That  is  what  I  meant. 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  We  shoe  our  log  drag  with  an 
old  buggy  tire,  or  something  of  that  sort.  Our  gang  is  com- 
posed of  two  men  and  a  team  every  eight  miles.  Our  gang 
for  patching  our  oil  macadam  roads  is  the  same,  anywhere 
from  seven  to  nine  miles,  where  we  have  to  have  constant 
patching;  but  what  we  are  trying  to  do  is  to  resurface  those 
roads;  widen  them  to  18  feet,  and  then  we  practically  get  rid 
of  our  maintenance  gang  entirely,  except  for  shoulder  and 
gutter  work. 

MR.  COBB:  I  would  like  to  ask  if  you  think  it  advisable 
to  heat  the  lighter  oils  for  the  surface  coat,  when  it  is  not 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  38T 

necessary  in  order  to  get  it  on  the  road,  where  it  will  flow 
by  gravity  without  heating. 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  You  understand  we  don't  put 
any  oil  on  by  gravity. 

MR.  COBB:     I  understand. 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  We  spray  our  oil  under  pres- 
sure, even  if  it  is  only  a  horse-drawn  machine.  If  you  can 
spread  a  quarter  of  a  gallon  of  oil,  or  a  fifth  of  a  gallon  with 
your  machine,  and  spread  it  evenly,  I  don't  believe  there  is 
any  advantage  at  all  in  heating  it;  but  we  do  have  to  heat 
65  per  cent,  oil  very  often  on  cool  mornings.  I  do  not 
know  whether  you  would  have  to  up  to  60  per  cent,  or  not. 
I  think  very  likely  it  would  help  to  make  easy  distribution, 
but  we  don't  find  we  have  to  heat  any  45  per  cent,  oil  until 
the  temperature  gets,  we  will  say,  below  60,  and  then  quite 
a  number  of  days  in  succession.  If  we  want  to  oil,  for  in- 
stance, in  September — we  can  almost  always  oil  from  the 
last  of  June  to  the  first  of  September  without  heat, — but  in- 
the  late  fall  or  early  spring  we  do  have  to  heat  the  65  per 
cent.  oil. 

MR.  COBB:  As  long  as  you  can  get  uniform  distribution,, 
you  don't  heat? 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:     No,  sir. 

(The  paper  of  Linn  White  follows.) 


Comparisons   of   Traffic  and   Their   Economic   Value 

By  LINN  WHITE 
Chief  Engineer,  South  Park  Commissioners,  Chicago 

The  sum  of  engineering  knowledge,  information  as  to  ther 
behavior  of  given  structures  or  materials  under  certain  con- 
ditions, is  all  empirical.  We  have  no  means  of  arriving  at 
conclusions  .  regarding  any  pavement  or  type  of  road  con- 
struction until  we  have  accumulated  a  store  of  experience- 
upon  which  we  can  found  our  reasoning. 

The  fundamental  elements  of  all  road  building  may  be- 
briefly  stated  to  be  foundation,  drainage  and  wearing  sur- 
face. The  first  two  are  closely  related,  and  in  relative  im- 
portance it  is  not  certain  but  that  the  order  should  be  re- 
versed and  drainage  named  first,  as  it  must  be  first  in  order 
of  construction.  But  omit  careful  consideration  of  any  one 
of  the  three  and  the  work  cannot  attain  full  measure  of 
success. 

If  we  assume  that  a  road  building  proposition  may  be  ap- 
proached for  the  first  time  from  the  standpoint  of  one 
versed  in  all  essentials  relating  to  the  construction  of  build- 
ings, any  accumulation  of  knowledge  in  that  branch  of  the 
art  of  engineering  alone  will  not  suffice.  The  builder  will 
know  his  foundation  in  its  simplest  form  should  extend  be- 


388  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

low  the  frost  line  or  other  surface  disturbances;  that  the 
weight  per  square  foot  must  not  be  more  than  the  earth 
beneath  can  support,  and  that  means  should  be  taken  for 
relieving  the  site  of  excess  water.  He  would,  in  a  general 
way,  at  once  realize  that  the  same  sort  of  problems  must  be 
met  in  road  building.  If  he  is  wise,  however,  he  will  see 
that  they  cannot  be  met  in  precisely  the  same  way.  Foun- 
dations, by  reason  of  expense,  cannot  be  so  deep,  and  this 
very  necessity  of  building  on  or  near  the  surface  introduces 
its  own  complexities  and  necessities  of  drainage. 

The  third  element  of  the  road  building  problem,  the  wear- 
ing surface,  requires  more  study  than  foundation  and  drain- 
age because  it  is  the  one  element  of  the  structure  that  is 
peculiar,  and  also  because  there  are  more  solutions  offered; 
therefore  it  is  frequently  true  that  investigation  of  the  other 
essentials  is  overlooked.  In  considering  the  durability  and 
success  of  a  pavement  it  often  occurs  that  a  material  or 
process  is  condemned  or  criticised  when  the  main  trouble 
lies  deeper, — in  the  foundation  or  lack  of  drainage. 

Of  all  the  means  of  accumulating  practical  knowledge 
about  road  building  the  most  fruitful  is  the  collection  of  data 
regarding  traffic,  comparing  and  drawing  conclusions  from 
the  same.  Chemical  analysis  is  another  means  of  obtaining 
practical  information;  so  is  the  observation  of  the  swelling 
and  heaving  action  of  frost;  of  the  disintegrating  effects  of 
frost;  of  the  disintegrating  effects  of  exposure  to  the  ele- 
ments, etc.  But  chief  of  all  is  the  study  of  traffic. 

Traffic  conditions  are  constantly  changing.  This  is  due 
to  three  causes: 

(1)  The  natural  increase  due  to  growth  in  all  live  com- 
munities; 

(2)  Evolution  of  methods  of  locomotion,  such  as  has  been 
witnessed  in  recent  years  when  horse-drawn  vehicles  were 
being  replaced   by  automobiles,   and   which  is   still   continu- 
ing in  the  great  increase  of  the  auto  truck;  and 

(3)  The  concentration  of  traffic  on  any  thoroughfare  that 
is  paved  better  than  its  neighbors. 

In  the  collection  of  data  regarding  traffic  it  is  manifestly 
necessary  to  have  a  definite  form  of  record  to  be  used  by  the 
observer,  that  is  prepared  with  careful  consideration  of  the 
conditions.  In  the  case  of  country  highways  or  light  traffic 
streets  the  observer  may  find  it  practicable  to  differentiate 
between  classes  of  traffic  that  would  be  impossible  on  crowd- 
ed city  streets.  In  fact,  it  may  easily  be  found  on  our  heav- 
ily traveled  city  streets,  where  the  traffic  count  may  run  up 
into  thousands  per  hour,  as  many  as  four  observers  will  be 
required,  two  on  each  side  of  the  street,  one  to  count  and  the 
other  to  record,  while  on  the  light  traffic  street  one  can 
count  and  have  ample  time  to  make  a  record  with  all  the 
elaborations  necessary. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS  389 

For  the  purpose  of  having  a  complete  record,  all  vehicles 
should  be  listed  in  various  classes  according  to  the  ability 
and  time  of  the  observer  to  obtain  details.  Automobiles 
should  at  least  be  divided  into  passenger  autos  and  freight 
trucks,  and  the  latter  into  loaded  and  empty.  Horse-drawn 
vehicles  should  be  divided  into  similar  classes,  and  record 
made  whether  one,  two  or  more  horses.  Further  refinement 
than  this  is  of  doubtful  value,  except  merely  for  purposes  of 
comparison  and  the  satisfaction  of  a  complete  record.  While 
two  horses  attached  to  a  vehicle  will  no  doubt  have  a  greater 
effect  on  a  pavement  than  one,  it  is  very  doubtful  whether 
a  runabout  has  on  the  average  a  less  effect  than  a  touring 
car. 

In  considering  the  effect  of  vehicles  on  pavement  surfaces, 
if  it  were  practicable  to  record  weights  and  speeds,  and  to 
consider  them  both  as  functions  of  a  result  to  be  applied  to 
the  case  in  hand,  there  would  probably  be  no  need  of  making 
more  than  two  classifications — horse-drawn  and  self-pro- 
pelled vehicles.  Self-propelled  vehicles  have  certain  well 
recognized  effects  upon  certain  wearing  surfaces.  On  ma- 
cadam surfaces  the  effect  is  to  loosen  the  bond  and  separate 
the  particles.  On  asphalt  pavements  that  are  at  all  plastic, 
the  tendency  is  to  form  longitudinal  ruts  while  the  horse- 
drawn  vehicle  forms  waves  or  rolls. 

After  the  record  is  "made  the  problem  is  to  make  an  in- 
telligent application  of  the  information  collected.  The  in- 
crease of  traffic  due  to  conditions  No.  1  and  No.  3  named 
above,  and  the  evolution  of  traffic,  condition  No.  2,  must  be 
understood  and  allowed  for.  Here  is  the  difficulty  of  draw- 
ing conclusions  from  too  elaborate  a  set  of  records.  Con- 
fusion is  likely  to  result  rather  than  the  definite  conclusion 
sought  for. 

When  an  attempt  is  made  to  define  or  describe  traffic  the 
terms  "heavy."  "light"  or  "medium"  are  commonly  used. 
As  a  means  of  drawing  comparisons  where  the  character  of 
traffic  is  the  same  such  distinction  may  be  sufficient.  They 
are  relative  terms,  however,  and  "heavy,"  for  instance,  as 
commonly  used  may  mean  heavy  loads  or  a  large  number  of 
vehicles.  Applied  to  the  latter  case  it  is  a  misnomer.  Some 
other  term  should  be  used  to  convey  the  idea  of  a  large 
number  of  vehicles.  For  instance,  "dense"  or  "intense." 
Intense  heavy  traffic  would  then  mean  a  large  number  of 
heavy  loads.  Intense  light  traffic  would  then  express  such 
traffic  as  exists  on  the  boulevards  of  our  larger  cities  where 
the  average  weight  of  the  vehicles  is  less  than  a  ton.  Con- 
versely there  should  be  a  term  to  express  the  opposite  of 
intense.  "Infrequent"  has  near  the  right  shade  of  meaning. 

After  the  record  of  traffic  has  been  made  and  after  the 
present  and  probable  further  conditions  are  properly  classi- 


390  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

fied,  the  result  should  be  something  tangible  and  useful. 
Other  considerations  besides  the  amount  of  traffic  and  effect 
of  traffic  very  often  (one  might  say  generally)  determine 
the  character  of  the  highway  to  be  constructed  or  the  street 
pavement  to  be  laid.  There  are  communities  where  a  brick 
surfaced  road,  whether  town  street  or  country  road,  repre- 
sents the  ideal,  and,  when  money  enough  is  available  for  its 
construction  no  other  kind  of  pavement  has  any  chance. 
Other  communities  almost  naturally  run  to  concrete  sur- 
faces; thanks  mostly  to  the  comparatively  recent  splendid 
efforts  of  the  publicity  departments  of  cement  manufactur- 
ers' organizations. 

Others  still,  like  much  of  the  great  state  of  California,  by 
reason  of  the  native  production  of  oils  and  asphaltic  road 
materials,  take  naturally  and  quickly  to  some  type  of  bi- 
tuminous construction. 

Any  mere  tabulation  of  local  traffic  records  cannot  change 
these  tendencies.  Brick  for  street  and  road  purposes  is  uni- 
versally made  about  so  much  in  thfckness;  concrete  roads 
will  be  built  to  certain  standards  whether  the  traffic  records 
show  2,000  or  5,000;  macadam  roads  with  or  without  bitum- 
inous binders  are  more  flexible  in  their  character  of  con- 
struction and  should  be  designed  to  more  definitely  corre- 
spond with  the  stress  to  be  put  on  them. 

Even  here,  however,  the  local  engineer  can  make  but  little 
of  immedite  practical  value  out  of  his  local. traffic  records. 
The  movement  must  be  larger.  It  rests  more  with  public 
highway  commissions,  counties  cooperating  with  state,  with 
highly  organized  street  departments  of  the  large  cities,  and 
perhaps  with  consulting  highway  engineers  of  large  practice, 
to  get  tangible  results  out  of  traffic  statistics  and  records. 

Every  street  or  highway  engineer  should  consider  that 
the  best  service  he  can  render  and  the  greatest  benefit  he 
can  receive  pertaining  to  this  matter  is  through  general  pub- 
licity and  broad  comparison  of  accumulated  traffic  records. 

Discussion  by  H.  K.  Bishop 
Formerly  Superintendent  of  Public  Works,  Territory  of  Hawaii 

The  subject  of  traffic  and  some  scientific  and  practical 
method  of  comparing  the  results  obtained  by  the  traffic  cen- 
sus is  one  which  today  has  received  very  little  attention. 
That  the  amount  and  character  of  the  traffic  which  a  high- 
way to  be  improved  must  sustain,  bears  a  very  important 
part  in  the  selection  of  the  particular  type  of  construction 
to  be  used,  is  generally  admitted.  The  volume  of  traffic  is 
important;  but  the  character,  such  as  the  percentage  of  mo- 
tor-propelled vehicles,  weight  of  loads  carried,  the  speed  at 
which  motor  vehicles  are  propelled,  width  of  tires  of  horse- 
drawn  vehicles,  weight  of  loads  drawn,  and  other  factors, 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  891 

are  equally  important  in  making  a  scientific  comparison  of 
traffic  and  its  effect  on  the  various  types  of  roadways. 

The  practical  engineer  is  very  apt  to  pass  up  the  traffic 
census  and  its  value  in  determining  the  selection  of  a  proper 
surface  for  a  roadway  to  be  improved,  and  to  depend  upon 
the  individual  judgment  of  the  engineer  most  directly  con- 
nected with  the  work  in  that  vicinity.  He  is  inclined  to  dis- 
miss the  traffic  census  as  too  theoretical  and  visionary.  This 
view  is  due  perhaps  to  the  fact  that  at  present  there  is  no 
uniform  method  of  comparing  the  results  obtained  by  such 
a  census. 

All  highway  engineers  are  well  aware  that  a  roadway 
subject  to  heavy  horse-drawn  traffic  will  need  an  entirely 
different  treatment  than  that  for  a  roadway  subject  to  heavy 
motor  traffic,  especially  if  such  traffic  be  of  the  high-speed 
touring  class. 

Two  censuses  taken  on  different  highways  might  show  the 
same  number  of  traffic  units  when  reduced  to  some  uniform 
measure,  such  as  weight  per  foot  of  width,  and  yet  the  type 
of  surface  selected  for  the  one  and  which  might  prove  en- 
tirely satisfactory,  would  be  unfit  for  the  other.  The  writer 
has  in  mind  a  suburban  highway  of  one  of  the  large  cities  of 
New  York  State  which  is  subject  to  a  very  heavy  horse- 
drawn  trucking  traffic  to  and  from  the  public  market.  A 
census  taken  of  the  traffic  on  this  highway  when  reduced 
to  tons  per  foot  of  width  per  24  hours,  showed  almost  ex- 
actly the  same  result  as  a  census  taken  on  another  high- 
way on  the  Southern  shore  of  Long  Island,  and  upon  a  road 
which  is  subject  to  a  heavy  traffic  of  motor-driven  vehicles 
consisting  largely  of  the  touring  class  traveling  at  high 
speed.  The  first  of  these  highways  required  a  well-con- 
structed brick  pavement  on  a  concrete  base,  while  the  latter 
was  surfaced  with  a  trap  rock  macadam  on  a  natural  gravel 
foundation.  This  trap  rock  macadam  was  oiled  each  year. 
The  pavement  described  in  the  second  case  was  entirely  sat- 
isfactory under  the  conditions  of  traffic  prevailing,  and  was 
comparatively  easy  to  maintain.  A  similar  construction  tried 
out  in  the  first  case  was  entirely  inadequate  and  absolutely 
unable  to  withstand  the  traffic  conditions.  The  brick  pave- 
ment constructed  on  a  concrete  base,  has  proven  entirely 
satisfactory,  and  adequate  to  withstand  the  heavy  trucking 
traffic.  The  above  illustration  demonstrates  the  necessity 
of  care  in  attempting  to  determine  selection  for  a  road  sur- 
face without  a  careful  analysis  of  the  character  of  the  traf- 
fic both  present  and  future. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  apply  weights  in  the 
various  kinds  of  traffic,  and  in  this  manner  to  reduce  the 
results  of  the  traffic  census  to  a  uniform  basis.  The  writer 
is  not  aware  that  any  of  these  attempts  have  taken  into  ac- 


392  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD   CONGRESS 

count  the  speed  at  which  the  various  vehicles  are  moving. 
Furthermore,  it  is  a  question  in  the  mind  of  the  writer 
whether  any  attempt  to  judge  the  speed  at  which  motor 
vehicles  are  traveling,  by  an  individual  observer,  would  be 
successful.  That  speed  is  important  there  can  be  no  ques- 
tion and  that  it  should  be  taken  into  consideration  in  the 
comparison  of  any  traffic  censuses,  the  writer  is  firmly  con- 
vinced. 

For  the  purpose  of  comparing  the  annual  cost  of  the  vari- 
ous types  of  road  pavements  attempts  have  been  made  to 
reduce  the  results  of  the  traffic  census  to  a  uniform  basis  of 
tons  per  unit  of  width  of  pavement. 

The  traffic  census  serves  a  two-fold  purpose — first:  to  fur- 
nish information  to  guide  in  the  selection  of  a  suitable  sur- 
face for  a  road  to  be  improved;  second:  to  furnish  units  to 
compare  the  annual  cost  of  the  various  types  of  pavement. 
In  the  first  case  the  results  of  the  census  taken  on  any  high- 
way to  be  improved,  should  be  considered  carefully  in  de- 
tail and  with  a  proper  allowance  for  future  increase  in  traf- 
fic after  improvement.  In  this  consideration  the  speed  of 
the  vehicles  may  be  judged  in  a  general  way  by  the  class 
recorded.  This  might  be  checked  up  by  some  actual  ob- 
servation of  the  speed  of  the  various  classes  of  vehicles  in 
that  locality.  In  the  second  case  where  the  actual  annual 
cost  of  any  type  of  service  is  known  the  observed  results 
of  the  census  may  be  weighed  and  reduced  to  uniform  units 
and  thus  the  annual  cost  may  be  made  on  a  uniform  basis. 

The  Committee, of  the  American  Society,  of  Engineers  on 
Materials  for  Road  Construction,  and  on  Standards  for  their 
Test  and  Use,  of  which  the  writer  is  a  member,  presented  to 
the  society  in  their  report,  dated  January  20,  1915,  a  set  of 
standard  forms  to  be  used  in  taking  a  traffic  census.  As 
yet  the  committee  has  not  presented  any  proposed  uniform 
method  for  comparing  the  results  obtained  by  the  traffic 
census.  Perhaps  the  next  report  of  the  committee,  to  be 
presented  next  January,  will  contain  something  along  this 
line.  • 

Many  highway  engineers  will  contend  that  the  taking  of 
the  traffic  census  is  a  waste  of  time  and  money,  and  that  it 
cannot  be  used  to  any  advantage  in  any  way  in  determining 
the  kind  of  construction  to  be  employed  in  any  particular 
case.  The  practical  highway  engineer  is  very  much  in- 
clined to  make  his  decisions  with  regard  to  the  types  of 
road  surface  necessary  on  roads  to  be  improved  from  his 
own  personal  knowledge  of  the  conditions  and  from  such 
knowledge  as  he  is  able  to  obtain  from  his  subordinates,  or 
from  residents  located  in  that  particular  locality.  He  is 
very  apt  to  look  scornfully  upon  any  theoretical  method  of 
comparing  traffic  census.  The  writer  must  confess  that  he 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  898 

has  been  inclined  to  this  view  himself  in  the  past.  How- 
ever, the  great  growth  of  the  good  roads  movement  and 
the  appropriation  of  large  sums  of  money  for  road  improve- 
ment, and  especially  the  changed  conditions  of  traffic,  have 
led  him  to  believe  that  we  cannot  get  too  much  light  and 
information  to  aid  us  in  making  the  proper  selection  of  the 
types  of  road  surfaces  to  be  used  in  the  future.  The  writer 
is  convinced  that  the  theoretical  side  of  road  building  should 
receive  more  attention,  and  especially  that  some  uniform 
method  of  comparing  the  results  obtained  from  traffic  cen- 
suses should  be  evolved. 

Inasmuch  as  the  object  of  this  paper  is  to  open  this  sub- 
ject for  discussion,  the  writer  will  refrain  from  inflicting 
his  views  at  any  great  length  upon  you.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  discussion  following  the  presenting  of  this  paper 
will  bring  out  many  things  that  are  new  and  many  things 
that  will  be  of  future  value  on  this  subject.  There  are  many 
of  you  who  have  had  splendid  experience  and  who  are  very 
capable  judges  of  the  value  of  such  a  census,  and  the  value 
of  deductions  drawn  from  a  comparison  thereof.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  you  will  all  present  whatever  knowledge  and 
light  you  may  have  upon  this  subject. 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  The  next  subject  on  the  pro- 
gram is  "Maintenance,  Materials  and  Methods."  The  paper 
on  the  subject  is  by  A.  W.  Dean,  Chief  Engineer  of  the 
Massachusetts  Highway  Commission.  As  Mr.  Dean  is  not 
present,  it  will  be  read  by  title  and  printed  in  the  Record. 


Maintenance:   Materials  and  Methods 

By  A.  W.  DEAN 
Chief  Engineer,  Massachusetts  Highway  Commission 

The  date  of  completion  of  construction  of  a  roadway  sur- 
face marks  the  date  when  maintenance  must  commence. 
The  materials  and  methods  to  be  used  are  governed  by  the 
type  of  the  constructed  surface;  the  urgency  for  prompt 
attention  to  maintenance  is  governed  by  the  type  of  surface 
and  by  the  quantity  and  quality  of  vehicular  travel  over 
same;  the  cost  of  maintenance  is  governed  primarily  by  the 
judgment  used  in  selecting  the  types  of  surface  for  the  road- 
way when  constructing  it.  Too  often  necessity  requires  the 
construction  of  an  inferior  surface  where  a  paved  surface 
should  be  laid,  thus  permitting  a  temporary  economy  in 
construction  that  is  soon  balanced  by  an  excessive  charge 
for  maintenance  and  renewal. 

Maintenance  is  brought  to  its  lowest  terms  when  the 
roadway  surface  has  been  properly  designed  and  constructed. 
A  properly  built  roadway  is  that  which  has  been  properly 


394  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

designed  to  withstand  existing  and  anticipated  traffic  and 
other  conditions,  and  has  been  built  with  good  quality  oi 
material  and  workmanship.  If  all  roadways  were  so  built, 
the  maintenance  problem  would  cease  to  be  a  problem,  and 
there  would  be  little  occasion  for  conventions  and  discus- 
sions by  road  makers.  This  condition  will  never  be  reached, 
however,  and  we  have  now  and  for  generations  to  come 
will  have  the  countless  problems  of  maintenance  to  solve. 

The  terms  "maintenance"  and  "repair,"  while  not  entirely 
synonymous,  will,  however,  be  herein  considered  as  such,  in 
order  to  permit  as  broad  a  treatment  of  the  subject  as  pos- 
sible in  the  fewest  words. 

According  to  statistics  compiled  by  the  U.  S.  Office  01 
Public  Roads,  over  90  per  cent,  of  all  roads  in  the  United 
States  are  earth  roads  (about  2,000,000  miles),  hence  it  must 
be  conceded  that  earth  road  maintenance  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  in  this  country.  The  prevailing  obstacle  to 
proper  maintenance  of  earth  roads  is  lack  of  surface  and 
subdrainage.  Surface  drainage  should  be  provided  for  by 
constructing  and  maintaining  the  roadway  with  proper  and 
sufficient  crown,  and  by  providing  proper  side  drains  or 
gutters  and  culverts.  When  a  road  is  built  on  a  long  steep 
grade  on  a  sidehill,  culverts  should  be  placed  frequently  to 
carry  the  water  across  and  under  the  road  rather  than  (as 
is  quite  common)  constructing  so-called  water  bars  to 
carry  the  water  across  and  above  the  surface  of  the  road. 
A  grader  or  road  machine  should  be  used  on  earth  roadways 
not  more  than  twice  a  year,  and  preferably  not  more  than 
once  a  year.  It  should  be  used  with  care.  If  sods  and 
improper  material  have  accumulated  on  the  edges  of  the 
roadway  and  are  pulled  over  to  the  surface  of  the  road  by 
the  grader,  they  should  immediately  be  thrown  or  carted 
away  from  the  surface.  A  road  drag  is  almost  indispensable 
in  the  maintenance  of  a  proper  surface  on  an  earth  roadway. 
The  drag  should  be  used  frequently  and  when  the  earth  is 
moist.  It  is  of  no  value  when  the  earth  is  very  dry  and  is 
of  little  value  when  the  earth  is  very  wet.  The  drag  will 
not  fill  large  depressions  such  as  occur  at  each  end  of  a 
bridge,  but  will  keep  the  roadway  in  fairly  good  condition  for 
travel  at  all  times,  if  properly  used.  Where  large  depressions 
occur  in  a  roadway,  it  is  not  good  practice  to  place  broken 
stone  or  coarse  gravel  in  such  depressions,  as  such  practice 
has  a  tendency  to  cause  a  hard  section  with  a  hole  at  each 
end  of  the  same. 

Roads  constructed  with  a  mixture  of  sand  and  clay  (sand- 
clay)  may  be  considered  as  earth  roads  in  an  advanced  stage. 
The  ordinary  maintenance  of  sand-clay  roadways  is  best 
effected  in  the  same  manner  as  earth  roadways.  Where 
soft  mud  holes  occur  in  sand-clay  roadways,  it  is  advisable 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  39S 

to  fill  such  places  with  sand,  as  in  general  such  holes  are 
caused  by  an  excess  of  clay  in  the  mixture.  Oftentimes  such 
roadways  are  not  constructed  with  the  right  proportions  of 
sand  and  clay  in  the  original  mixture,  in  which  case  the 
maintenance  of  the  roadway  will  depend  upon  the  condition 
due  to  the  excess  of  one  material  or  the  other.  If  the  entire 
surface  of  the  roadway  is  quite  soft  and  ruts  badly  during 
wet  weather,  it  is  evidence  that  there  is  an  excess  of  clay. 
Therefore,  in  the  maintenance  of  the  roadway  under  such 
conditions,  a  thin  layer  of  sand  should  be  spread  over  the 
surface,  and  if  the  conditions  are  sufficiently  bad  to  warrant, 
the  sand  should  be  harrowed  into  the  surface.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  surface  does  not  become  compact,  but  rather 
shows  indication  of  being  sandy,  a  small  quantity  of  clay 
should  be  spread  upon  the  surface.  As  in  the  case  of  the 
ordinary  earth  roadway,  proper  surface  drainage  and  sub- 
drainage  should  be  provided  to  take  care  of  the  excess  of 
surface  and  ground  water. 

Gravel  surfaces  are  frequently  maintained  to  a  certain 
extent  by  the  use  of  the  drag.  A  road  machine  should  not 
be  used  on  gravel  surfaces  except  when  it  is  desired  to  widen 
the  traveled  way  or  to  lightly  smooth  the  surface.  When- 
ever a  road  machine  is  used  on  a  gravel  roadway  for 
widening  the  traveled  section,  great  care  should  be  taken  to 
remove  from  the  surface  any  material  other  than  gravel  that 
may  be  brought  on  by  the  use  of  the  machine.  Ruts  or 
depressions  occurring  in  a  gravel  roadway  should  be  repaired 
by  rilling  lightly  with  gravel  as  near  the  same  quality  as  that 
originally  used  in  the  surface  as  is  obtainable.  The  main- 
tenance of  a  gravel  roadway  is  greatly  assisted  by  applying 
uniformly  at  the  rate  of  about  Vz  gal.  per  sq.  yd.  once 
each  year,  an  asphaltic  oil  of  about  the  maximum  consistency 
that  can  properly  be  spread  at  air  temperature  with  a 
common  distributor.  Such  application  not  only  furnishes 
a  small  amount  of  binder  for  the  upper  surface,  but  prevents 
the  dispersion  of  the  surface  in  the  form  of  dust.  The 
gravel  surface  herein  referred  to  consists  of  material  in 
which  the  mixture  of  round  stones  and  particles  is  quite 
uniformly  variable  in  size  from  minute  particles  to  stones 
2  or  3  ins.  in  diameter.  This  definition  is  given  on  account 
of  the  fact  that  there  are  so  many  different  ideas  conveyed 
when  the  term  "gravel  surface"  is  mentioned. 

The  maintenance  of  a  broken  stone  macadam  (water 
bound  macadam)  roadway  whenever  constructed  by  the  usual 
method  is  a  more  or  less  difficult  problem,  depending  upon 
the  traffic  that  it  has  to  withstand.  If  the  traffic  consists 
largely  of  steel-tired  vehicles,  with  very  few  rapidly  driven 
motor  vehicles,  a  macadam  roadway  may  be  maintained  by 
keeping  its  surface  covered  with  a  light  layer  of  sand  or 


396  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

other    suitable    fine    material,    the    object    of    this    covering 
being  to   keep    sufficient   binder   on   the   surface   to   prevent 
the  stones  in  the  surface  from  picking  up.     If,  however,  the 
traffic  is  sufficient  to  wear  out  the  surface  rapidly,  as  is  the 
case    when     there     are ,  many     motor-driven     vehicles,     and 
particularly    when    there    are    many    rapidly    driven    motor 
vehicles,    the     sand     surface     cannot     be    maintained    and    it 
becomes  necessary  to  use  some  other  means  of  maintenance. 
The   use   of  a   bituminous    binder  in   the    construction    and 
maintenance   of  macadam  roadways  has  now  become   quite 
universal,    and   the    problem   of   maintenance    of    bituminous 
bound    or    surfaced    roadways     has     now     become    simple. 
Applying  about   Yz   gal.   per   sq.   yd.   of   an   asphaltic   oil   or 
refined   tar   at   proper   intervals   permits    of   maintenance    of 
macadam  roadways  under  ordinary  traffic  for  a  long  period, 
provided    the    subsequent    applications    are    made    at    proper 
intervals.      The     interval     between     applications     cannot    be 
definitely  stated,  but  can  be  determined  only  by  the  appear- 
ance  of  the   surface   of   the   roadway.      In   Massachusetts   it 
has  been  the  practice  during  the  past  several  years  to  main- 
tain   water    bound    macadam    roadways    by    surface    applica- 
tions   of    so-called    "cold    oil,"    the    oil    used    being   what    is 
termed  by  the  manufacturers  as  a  "50  per  cent,  oil."     It  has 
been  found  that  one  application  per  year  is  sufficient  on  most 
of    the    roadways    where    maintenance    is    effected    in    this 
manner.     The    method    of   applying   the    oil    is   as    follows: 
First,  the  road  is  swept  lightly  to  remove  all  surplus  material 
from  the   surface.     The  oil  is  then   applied   by  means   of  a 
pressure  distributor,  thus  insuring  a  complete  and  uniform 
covering.      Immediately    thereafter,    coarse    sand    is    spread 
in  sufficient  quantity  to  entirely  cover  the  oil.     The  amount 
of  oil  used  in  the  first  application  is  approximately   Vs   gal. 
per    sq.    yd.,    and    on    subsequent    applications    the    amount 
varies  from  1/3  to  1/5  gal.  per  sq.  yd.     The  asphalt  contained 
in  this  oil  forms  a  thin  carpet  on  the  macadam  surface,  and 
not   only  prevents   wear,   but  prevents   distribution   of   dust. 
It  has  been   found   that  the  use   of  heavy  oils  such  as   are 
known  to  the  trade  as  "90  per  cent,  oils"  assists  in  a  satis- 
factory maintenance  for  only  one  or  two  years,  after  which 
the  bituminous  material  has  a  tendency  to  crawl  and  become 
wavy.     The  lighter  oils,  having  less  body,  do  not  have  this 
objection.      Refined   tar   is   often   used    in   the    same   manner 
as  described  above  in  the  maintenance  of  macadam  roadways 
and  often  gives  quite  satisfactory  results. 

Repairs  on  a  bituminous  blanket  or  thin  surface  coat  may 
be  made  by  covering  the  section  to  be  repaired  with  a  thin 
coat  of  asphaltic  oil  or  tar,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  imme- 
diately covering  with  peastone,  fine  gravel  or  coarse  sand. 
This  is  assuming  that  the  repairs  consist  of  renewing  com- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  397 

paratively  small  sections  of  the  coating  that  for  any  reason 
may  have  disappeared.  No  general  fixed  method  can  be 
described  for  making  repairs  due  to  imperfect  workmanship, 
the  use  of  too  much  bituminous  material,  or  the  irregular 
distribution  of  material,  each  case  having  to  be  treated  in 
such  manner  as  experience  may  have  shown  to  be  best. 
Renewals  of  bituminous  carpets  may  ordinarily  be  made  by 
a  repetition  of  the  usual  process  of  constructing  such  car- 
pets, except  that  it  is  advisable  always  to  use  less  bituminous 
material  per  square  yard  for  renewal  than  was  used  in  the 
original  carpet. 

So-called  sand  and  oil  mixed  road  surfaces  are  either  re- 
paired or  renewed  by  the  addition  of  mixed  material  of  the 
same  quality  and  density  as  that  used  in  the  original  surface. 

Bituminous  grouted  or  mixed  macadam  surfaces  should 
not  require  early  or  frequent  repairs  or  renewals  if  designed 
and  constructed  properly  in  the  first  instance.  Should  the 
necessity  for  repairs  arise,  however,  they  are  ordinarily 
made  by  the  removal  of  disintegrated  or  imperfect  portions 
of  the  surface  and  substituting  therefor  a  mixture  of  bitumen 
and  small  broken  stone,  the  mixture  being  made  either  by 
mixing  previous  to  application  or  by  spreading  stone  and 
filling  the  voids  by  pouring. 

In  renewing  bituminous  macadam  surfaces  it  is  not  or- 
dinarily necessary  to  break  up  or  remove  any  of  the  exist- 
ing surface,  but  the  new  surface  may  be  added  by  spread- 
ing directly  over  the  old  surface.  If,  however,  the  old  sur- 
face in  addition  to  having  become  worn  thin  is  worn  very 
irregularly,  it  is  advisable  to  loosen  up,  scarify,  reshape  and 
roll  the  old  surface  before  adding  the  new  surface  material. 

The  repair  of  cement  concrete  surfaces  is  a  comparatively 
new  problem,  as  such  surfaces  have  not  been  in  use  for  many 
years,  and  such  repairs  as  have  been  required  have  been- 
due  to  imperfect  workmanship  or  material.  If  the  defects 
to  be  repaired  consist  of  badly  disintegrated  sections,  they 
cannot  be  permanently  repaired  except  by  the  removal  of 
all  material  in  the  sections  to  the  full  depth  of  the  surface 
and  replacing  same  with  new  and  proper  concrete.  If  the 
defects  to  be  repaired  are  minor,  however,  and  consist  mere- 
ly of  small  depressions,  they  may  be  repaired  by  filling  the 
depressions  with  a  bituminous  mixture.  When  a  cement 
concrete  surface  becomes  worn  sufficiently  to  appear  to  re- 
quire renewal,  it  is  impossible  to  renew  the  same  by  adding 
a  new  thin  coat  of  cement  concrete  mixture;  therefore  it 
may  be  said  that  a  cement  concrete  surface  cannot, be  re- 
newed with  the  same  type  of  surface,  but  must  be  entirely 
removed  and  a  new  section  constructed.  This  would  be 
expensive,  however,  and  it  appears  that  the  proper  method 
for  bringing  up  an  old  concrete  surface  is  to  cover  it  with 


398  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

a  bituminous  bound  surface  in  place  of  a  cement  concrete 

surface. 

Block  pavements  of  all  kinds  can  be  repaired  or  renewed 
only  by  the  entire  removal  and  replacement  of  the  sections 
to  be  repaired  or  renewed. 


CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  I  am  now  going  to  introduce  a 
gentleman  who  really  knows  something  about  what  he  is 
talking  about,  and  that  is  Mr.  W.  H.  Connell,  Chief  of  the 
Bureau  of  Highways  and  Street  Cleaning,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
(Applause.) 

MR.  CONNELL:  Mr.  Sohier  put  me  at  a  disadvantage  by 
stating  he  was  going  to  introduce  somebody  that  knew  some- 
thing. That  might  be  all  right  if  I  had  not  immediately  fol- 
lowed the  chairman's  long  and  instructive  talk.  I  am  going 
to  deal  with  two  phases  of  the  road  problem,  both  I  think  of 
equal  importance.  One  is  in  the  pure  business  management  of 
road  work.  It  is  easy  enough  to  eliminate  the  dust,  to  ap- 
ply bituminous  materials  and  do  all  of  those  things  that  are 
essential  to  having  dustless  roads,  if  you  go  about  it  in  the 
right  way.  That  means  doing  exactly  the  same  as  you  would 
in  handling  a  business  proposition.  Pick  out  a  man  or  men 
-whose  training  has  been  along  those  lines.  If  your  own 
money  were  at  stake  and  you  were  running  your  own  busi- 
ness, you  would  make  sure  that  you  would  pick  out  men 
who  were  more  or  less  expert  in  the  particular  line  of  your 
business.  The  same  problem  applies  to  the  elimination  of 
•dust  and  street  cleaning.  That  is  simply  plain  common  sense 
-and  logic.  The  title  of  this  paper  is  "Dust  Suppression  and 
Street  Cleaning." 

Dust  Suppression  and  Street  Cleaning 

By  WILLIAM  H.  CONNELL 
Chief,  Bureau  of  Highways  and  Street  Cleaning,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

There  is  probably  no  phase  of  public  work  with  a  more 
direct  bearing  on  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the  public 
than  the  suppression  of  dust  and  the  cleaning  of  streets. 
"Realizing  this,  the  public  is  becoming  more  and  more  exact- 
ing with  regard  to  the  means  adopted  by  the  different  cities 
.and  communities  to  cope  with  this  problem.  Evidence  of 
this  is  the  widespread  interest  of  the  business  and  civic 
-organizations  throughout  the  country  which  are  endeavor- 
ing to  cooperate  with  the  officials  in  charge  of  the  work, 
in  order  that  the  streets  in  their  respective  communities 
may  be  clean  and  free  from  dust.  Until  a  few  years  ago, 
the  civic  organizations  were  confined  to  the  cities,  as  the 
<lust  nuisance  did  not  assume  any  great  proportion  in  the 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  399 

outlying  districts  where  the  travel  was  over  country  roads, 
until  the  advent  of  the  automobile.  But  now  the  wide- 
spread interest  backed  by  civic  organizations  for  the  sup- 
pression of  dust  is  probably  just  as  prevalent  in  the  out- 
lying districts  as  in  the  cities.  This  is  simply  illustrative 
of  the  fact  that  the  public  is  tired  of  the  slipshod  methods 
formerly  used,  and  still  in  use  in  many  localities,  in  con- 
nection with  the  dust  suppression  problem  on  country  roads, 
all  of  which  is  an  indication  of  the  evolution  through  which 
this  country  is  passing  today  with  regard  to  the  solution 
of  problems  pertaining  to  the  public  service,  and  coming 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  federal  and  state  governments, 
municipalities  and  townships.  We  are,  however,  still  floun- 
dering about  and  until  it  becomes  universally  recognized 
that  all  such  problems  must  be  handled  by  experts  in  the 
respective  undertakings,  such  as  is  the  case  in  business,  we 
will  continue  to  grope  in  the  dark.  This  is  evidenced  prob- 
ably more  in  street  cleaning  work  than  in  any  other  branch 
of  public  work  in  this  country,  and  it  is  simply  due  to  the 
fact  that  it  has  lacked  expert  supervision,  and  more  so  than 
any  other  field  of  the  public  service. 

With  the  advent  of  the  automobile,  and  the  keener  sensi- 
bilities of  the  public,  due  to  higher  and  more  universal  edu- 
cation, and  the  fact  that  the  world  is  becoming  more  pro- 
gressive in  business  and  scientific  undertakings  every  day, 
the  people  are  actually  demanding  all  the  comforts  that 
heretofore  have  been  denied  them  and  which  common  sense 
tells  them  are  within  their  grasp.  Included  in  this  category 
and  under  the  title  of  street  cleaning,  is  the  problem  of  the 
elimination  and  suppression  of  dust  on  paved  streets  and 
country  roads.  This  is  simply  an  engineering  problem  that 
can  be  successfully  handled  in  every  section  of  the  country 
today.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  employ  qualified  experts 
to  advise  and  outline  methods  of  carrying  on  the  work  and 
to  place  competent  men  in  a  supervisory  capacity.  This 
puts  part  of  the  burden  of  the  responsibility  where  it  be- 
longs— with  the  people.  In  order  to  have  good  service, 
plain  business  principles  similar  to  those  employed  in  pri- 
vate undertakings  must  govern  in  the  selection  of  those 
charged  with  the  solution  of  the  problems  of  the  public 
service. 

The  public  is  said  by  some  to  be  overly  exacting  with 
public  officials.  Though  not  so  in  a  general  sense,  in  many 
instances  people  are  unreasonable  in  their  demands  and 
have  extravagant  views  which  do  not  represent  the  good, 
sound  judgment  that  they  would  put  into  practice  in  their 
own  business  undertakings.  Public  business  is  said  to  be 
and  is  everybody's  business,  but  unfortunately,  generally 
speaking,  opinions  are  often  expressed  on  matters  pertain- 


400  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

ing  to  public  affairs  without  knowing  the  facts,  which  policy 

would  be  disastrous  to  pursue  in  business  life. 

In  many  ways  the  people  are  like  children — they  want 
something  and  want  it  badly,  but  do  not  care  how  they  get 
it  so  long  as  their  individual  requests  are  granted,  never  con- 
sidering whether  the  existing  finances  of  the  community  will 
warrant  granting  their  demands,  as  they  usually  consider  such 
matters  from  their  viewpoint  alone.  In  other  words,  the  col- 
lective requests  of  a  somewhat  similar  nature,  are  subordinat- 
ed to  their  personal  desires,  and  they  refuse  to  consider  that 
the  expense  might  make  it  prohibitive  to  comply  with  their 
demands.  Very  often,  too,  when  they  do  go  into  the  finan- 
cial situation  and  find  that  there  is  no  money  available  for 
certain  purposes  and  that  certain  things  never  can  be  as 
they  should  >be  until  more  funds  are  provided,  they  are  un- 
willing to  pay  their  share  of  a  raise  in  the  taxes  to  provide 
the  comforts  that  they  demand. 

As  this  is  due  to  a  lack  of  knowledge  in  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  public  service,  it  can  only  be  overcome  through 
a  campaign  of  publicity  designed  to  educate  the  people  and 
bring  them  to  a  realization  of  the  fact  that  these  problems 
are  simply  business  and  engineering  ones  and  should  be 
handled  by  competent  authorities. 

In  discussing  an  engineering  subject  such  as  street  clean- 
ing and  dust  suppression,  the  scope  must  necessarily  be  suf- 
ficiently broad  to  place  the  matter  in  its  true  light,  and  the 
foregoing  is  simply  a  brief  outline  of  some  of  the  elements 
entering  into  this  problem  and  the  obstacles  and  difficulties 
to  be  met,  and  that  are  met  with  by  engineers  in  charge  of 
departments  supervising  work  of  this  character. 

It  is  not  only  the  technical  problems  that  should  concern 
the  engineer  in  charge,  but  the  whole  question  of  public 
policy  and  public  cooperation  is,  and  should  be,  just  as  much 
his  business  as  are  the  engineering  problems,  and  it  would 
therefore  not  be  doing  justice  to  this  subject  to  outline  the 
methods  of  carrying  on  the  work  from  an  engineering 
standpoint  without  first  endeavoring  to  point  out  that  the 
human  problem  is  also  a  very  important  factor.  Any  com- 
munity can  eliminate  dust  on  country  roads  and  city  streets, 
'  if  it  will  consider  the  matter  intelligently  as  any  individual 
would  in  conducting  his  own  business  affairs,  and  employ 
qualified  experts  to  advise,  or  supervise  the  work,  a  practice 
which,  if  universal,  would  save  the  communities  throughout 
the  country  millions  upon  millions  of  dollars  each  year. 

Street  Cleaning 

The  street  cleaning  problem  grows  in  importance,  depend- 
ing upon  the  area  of  paved  streets  under  control,  the  traffic 
and  population  of  the  community  and  how  apportioned.  In 
a  small  community  it  is  a  somewhat  simple  one,  but  very 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  401 

complex  and  difficult  in  a  large  city.  It  might  be  said  that 
it  grows  in  magnitude  with  the  density  of  the  population,  as 
traffic  naturally  increases  in  proportion  and  advances  with 
the  population. 

No  hard  and  fast  rules  can  be  laid  down  as  to  the  num- 
ber of  times  streets  should  be  cleaned,  except  that  it  should 
be  done  often  enough  to  not  only  have  them  appear  cleanly, 
but  to  prevent  the  dust  from  becoming  a  nuisance  between 
cleaning  periods.  The  number  of  cleanings  the  respective 
streets  require  in  order  to  accomplish  this  purpose  depends 
upon  the  general  cleanliness  and  habits  of  the  people  and 
the  volume  and  character  of  traffic.  In  a  neighborhood 
where  the  people  are  uncleanly  in  their  habits  and  litter  the 
streets  with  paper,  fruit  skins,  etc.,  it  is  necessary  to  clean 
more  frequently  than  in  a  locality  where  even  though  the 
traffic  is  the  same,  the  streets  are  not  constantly  being  lit- 
ter id  with  rubbish. 

The  two  important  considerations  in  street  cleaning  work 
are  as  follows: 

First,  to  secure  the  cooperation  of  the  public,  and  if  nec- 
essary to  enact  and  enforce  laws  compelling  the  people  to 
do  their  part  by  refraining  from  littering  the  streets  with 
rubbish  and  store  sweepings.  Unless  this  can  be  effected 
by  public  cooperation  or  through  the  enforcement  of  the 
law,  it  will  be  impossible  to  keep  the  streets  clean  no  matter 
how  often  they  are  cleaned. 

Second,  the  actual  cleaning  of  the  streets. 

In  order  to  give  a  general  idea  of  how  this  work  is  car- 
ried on  in  a  large  city,  the  following  outline  of  the  manner 
in  which  this  work  is  performed  in  Philadelphia  will  repr 
resent  the  general  methods  used. 

The  street  cleaning  work  is  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Highway  Bureau,  which  also  has  charge  of  the  construction 
and  maintenance  of  all  classes  of  streets  and  roads,  and  the 
collection  of  ashes,  rubbish  and  garbage.  It  is  directly 
supervised  by  division  and  district  engineers,  who  are  also 
in  charge  of  all  classes  of  work  in  their  respective  districts. 
The  street  cleaning  force  is  uniformed;  the  methods  of 
cleaning  are  by  horse-drawn  flushers,  automobile  flushers, 
squeegees,  machine  brooms  and  hose  flushing.  In  addition 
to  these  methods  of  cleaning,  which  are  carried  on  in  ac- 
cordance with  a  fixed  schedule  stipulating  that  each  street 
shall  be  cleaned  at  stated  intervals,  blockmen,  whose  duties 
consist  of  pick-up  cleaning,  are  stationed  throughout  the 
city.  This  work  is  supplemental  to  the  regular  schedule  of 
machine  cleaning.  The  area  covered  by  these  blockmen 
varies  from  4,000  sq.  yds.  in  the  central  business  section  to 
20,000  sq.  yds.  per  blockman  in  the  outlying  sections,  and 
depends  upon  the  amount  of  cleaning  required  in  the  dif- 


402  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

ferent  sections  of  the  city.  Flushers  are  used  almost  ex- 
clusively on  stone  block  pavements,  the  water  being  applied 
under  a  pressure  of  40  Ibs.  per  sq.  in.  The  purpose  of  the 
flushing  is  to  remove  the  dirt  from  between  the  blocks.  Ma- 
chine brooms  are  also  used  on  block  pavements,  and  smooth 
pavements  that  are  in  bad  repair  and  cannot  be  satisfac- 
torily cleaned  with  the  rubber  squeegees.  The  most  effi- 
cient method  of  cleaning  smooth  pavements,  such  as  wood 
block  and  sheet  asphalt,  appears  to  be  with  the  rubber 
squeegee.  This  may  be  demonstrated  by  thoroughly  clean- 
ing a  pavement  with  a  machine  broom  and  after  it  has  had 
a  chance  to  dry  out,  observing  the  dust  rising  from  the 
street  when  an  automobile  passes  over  it.  On  the  other 
hand,  after  cleaning  a  pavement  with  a  squeegee,  it  will  be 
observed  that  there  will  be  no  dust  rising  from  the  street  as 
the  automobile  passes  over  it.  This  is  due  to  the  thorough 
scrubbing  of  the  pavement  with  the  rubber  squeegee,  while 
the  broom  leaves  streaks  of  dirt,  which,  though  they  are 
very  slight  and  can  be  disclosed  only  by  close  observation, 
create  a  certain  amount  of  dust.  The  disadvantage  of  clean- 
ing with  squeegees,  and  in  fact  with  most  of  the  present  day 
methods  of  cleaning,  is  that  in  freezing  weather  they  cannot 
be  used,  since  it  is  necessary  to  sprinkle  first  and  this  re- 
sults in  coating  the  pavement  with  ice. 

The  solution  of  the  street  cleaning  problem  would,  there- 
fore, appear  to  be  some  sort  of  vacuum  cleaner  that  would 
make  it  unnecessary  to  wet  the  streets  in  the  winter.  No 
vacuum  cleaners  are  used  now  in  Philadelphia,  but  before 
very  long  this  method  of  cleaning  will  supplant  many  that 
are  in  use  at  present.  The  mechanical  contrivances  used 
to-day  in  the  cleaning  of  streets  are  very  crude,  which  is 
directly  attributable  to  the  lack  of  engineering  supervision 
in  this  class  of  work.  It  is  only  within  the  last  few  years 
that  in  some  sections  of  the  country  this  phase  of  the  situ- 
ation has  been  seriously  considered  and  studies  are  being 
made  with  a  view  to  improving  upon  the  present  equip- 
ment. 

The  schedule  under  which  this  work  is  done  is  a  result 
of  studies  made  to  determine  the  frequency  of  cleaning  re- 
quired on  each  street,  with  a  view  to  eliminating  the  dust 
nuisance  on  the  1,165  miles  of  paved  streets  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia.  The  country  road  bituminous  surface  treat- 
ments have  accomplished  the  same  results  on  the  242  miles 
of  macadam  and  204  miles  of  dirt  roads. 

Street  cleaning  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  is  done  under 
annual  contracts,  the  city  being  divided  into  eight  districts. 
The  work  is  under  the  supervision  of  the  district  engineers 
of  the  Highway  Bureau  and  their  corps  of  inspectors. 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  403 

The  specifications  provide  for  the  cleaning  of  all  streets 
6  ft.  6  ins.  in  width  or  over,  either  by  machine  brooms, 
squeegees  or  flushers,  and  the  equipment  to  be  operated  in 
accordance  with  a  schedule  which  specifies  the  streets  in  the 
order  in  which  they  are  to  be  cleaned  with  the  various  types 
of  equipment.  Squeegee  machines,  high  pressure  flushing 
machines  and  sprinklers  are  not  used  when  the  tempera- 
ture conditions  are  such  as  to  make  their  use  undesirable, 
due  to  causing  slippery  streets  in  freezing  weather.  During 
the  winter  when  this  work  cannot  be  done,  additional  ma- 
chine brooms  and  gangmen  must  be  provided  to  clean  the 
streets  with  the  frequency  called  ior. 

The  total  amount  of  yardage  cleaned  every  day  is  1,354,364 
yards,  cleaned  every  two  days  9,955,031  yards,  cleaned  every 
three  days  5,712,118  yards,  and  cleaned  once  per  week  441,- 
110  yards,  which  makes  an  average  cleaned  per  day  of  8,- 
309,437  yards.  The  total  yardage  of  streets  to  be  cleaned 
in  this  manner  is  17,413,101.  In  addition  to  this  the  specifi- 
cations  provide  for  the  cleaning  of  suburban  and  country 
streets  and  roads,  of  which  there  are  523  miles,  and  of 
alleys  from  one  to  six  times  per  week,  depending  upon  the 
necessity.  There  are  approximately  12,000  alleys  in  the  city 
under  6  ft.  6  ins.  in  width. 

The  specifications  also  stipulate  that  the  contractor  must 
furnish  a  certain  number  of  blockmen  for  each  district,  fully 
equipped  with  the  necessary  bags  and  bag  carriers,  scrapers, 
brooms,  sprinklers,  etc.  The  number  of  blockmen  ranges 
from  45  to  140  per  district.  A  certain  number  of  hand  ma- 
chine brooms,  squeegees  and  flushers  are  also  specified  for 
each  street  cleaning  district. 

All  blockmen  and  gangmen  wear  white  uniforms  with 
white  helmets  in  the  summer  months  and  white  caps  in  the 
winter  months.  All  drivers  and  helpers  wear  khaki  uniforms 
with  khaki  canvas  hats  in  the  summer  and  caps  in  the 
winter.  Superintendents  and  foremen  wear  dark  gray  uni- 
forms and  caps.  Inlet  gangs  are  uniformed  in  khaki  with 
hats  in  the  summer  and  caps  in  the  winter. 

The  following  is  a  description  of  the  methods  of  handling 
this  work,  which  is  divided  as  follows:  (1)  Hand  patrol; 
(2)  Machine  broom  cleaning;  (3)  Squeegeeing;  (4)  Flush- 
ing; (5)  Alley  cleaning;  (6)  Country  road  cleaning. 

Hand  Patrol. — The  blockmen  are  assigned  to  sections 
designated  by  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Highways  and 
Street  Cleaning,  the  area  to  be  covered  by  each  blockman 
depending  upon  the  character  and  amount  of  traffic  and 
ranging  from  4,000  to  20,000  sq.  yds.  per  day.  The  duties 
of  the  blockmen  consist  of  patrolling  these  areas,  gather- 
ing all  paper  or  other  refuse,  and  sweeping  street  dirt  as  it 
accumulates  and  placing  it  in  dustproof  bags  or  metal  cans, 


404 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 


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PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  405 

after  which  these  bags  or  cans  are  collected  and  loaded 
into  special  wagons  and  hauled  to  a  collection  station  or 
dump. 

The  equipment  used  in  the  hand  patrol  work  consists  of 
hand  machines,  bag  carriers,  burlap  sacks,  push  brooms, 
pan  scrapers,  sprinkling  cans  and  shovels.  The  dirt  col- 
lected is  placed  in  sacks  and  left  at  convenient  points  to  be 
taken  away  by  special  wagons  to  the  dump,  the  sacks  being 
returned  to  the  drivers.  Sacks  are  generally  used  in  prefer- 
ence to  cans  because  of  the  weight,  bulk  and  noisiness  of 
the  latter. 

Machine  Broom  Cleaning. — All  machine  broom  cleaning 
is  done  in  batteries  of  two  or  three,  preceded  by  sprinklers, 
the  number  of  brooms  in  each  battery  depending  upon  the 
width  and  character  of  the  streets  to  be  cleaned,  the  average 
gang  consisting  of  two  machine  brooms,  one  sprinkler,  four 
to  seven  gangmen,  and  a  sufficient  supply  of  carts  or  wagons 
to  remove  the  sweepings,  the  number  depending  upon  the 
length  of  haul  to  the  dumps  and  the  season  of  the  year,  to- 
gether with  the  amount  and  character  of  traffic. 

Squeegee  Cleaning. — Squeegee  cleaning  is  used  on  smooth 
pavements.  The  operation  is  performed  by  batteries  of  two 
and  three  squeegee  machines  preceded  by  sprinklers  to  soften 
and  loosen  the  material  on  the  streets,  the  sprinklers  using 
as  much  water  as  possible  without  flooding  the  pavement; 
the  squeegees  using  just  enough  water  to  create  a  wash. 
The  idea  of  sprinkling  in  advance  of  the  squeegees  is  to 
soften  the  dirt  and  enable  the  squeegees  to  cleanse  the 
streets  of  all  slime  as  well  as  of  the  coarser  materials.  The 
squeegees  are  followed  by  two  men,  who  immediately  sweep 
up  the  windrows  of  dirt  into  piles,  and  a  sufficient  number 
of  carts  follow  to  remove  the  dirt  from  the  streets. 

Flushing. — Flushing  machines  are  used  only  on  the  poorly 
paved  streets  and  block  pavements.  The  high  pressure 
flushing  machines,  two  of  which  are  mounted  on  auto  trucks, 
are  usually  operated  singly,  as  most  of  the  districts  have 
but  one  flusher. 

Alley  Cleaning. — All  alleys  and  streets  whose  width  be- 
tween curbs  is  too  narrow  to  permit  the  use  of  machine 
brooms  are  cleaned  once  each  week  with  a  hose.  When 
such  streets  or  alleys  are  required  by  schedule  to  be  cleaned 
more  than  once  a  week  the  additional  cleaning 'is  done  by 
hand  brooms. 

Hose  Flushing. — A  hose  flushing  gang  comprises  a  fore- 
man and  eight  men,  and  operates  in  the  heavy  traffic  busi- 
ness section  of  the  city.  The  work  is  supplemental  to  the 
regular  gang  cleaning  and  to  the  blockmen  cleaning  and 
is  done  at  night.  The  work  is  slow,  but  thorough,  the  main 
object  being  to  remove  the  fine  dust  and  pavement  detritus. 


406 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 


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PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  407 

Approximately  30,000  sq.  yds.  can  be  cleaned  in  10  hours  by 
each  gang.  A  gang  is  equipped  with  hand  brooms  and  ISO 
ft.  of  hose  with  necessary  attachments.  One  man  operates 
the  hose.  The  remaining  men  scrub  the  surface  of  the 
street,  clean  out  the  depressions  and  the  gutters. 

Inlet  Cleaning. — All  inlets  on  paved  streets  and  alleys  are 
cleaned  as  often  as  necessary  to  keep  them  at  all  times  free 
from  obstructions,  this  work  being  done  by  special  inlet 
gangs  consisting  of  three  men  and  a  sufficient  number  of 
carts. 

Country  Road  Cleaning. — The  cleaning  of  suburban  and 
country  streets  and  roads  is  taken  care  of  by  gangs,  each 
consisting  of  1  foreman,  10  laborers  and  2  carts.  The  work 
consists  of  pick-up  cleaning,  trimming  the  shoulders,  open- 
ing and  keeping  the  gutters  clean,  cleaning  inlets,  removing 
all  refuse,  rubbish  and  debris  from  the  streets,  and  such 
other  work  as  may  be  necessary  to  keep  the  streets  and 
roads  in  "spick-and-span"  condition.  The  respective  streets 
and  roads  are  cleaned  at  least  once  every  two  weeks,  and 
where  necessary  once  or  twice  a  week.  The  area  of  water 
bound  macadam,  bituminous  and  concrete  streets  and  roads, 
cleaned  by  the  country  road  gangs  is  approximately  3,835,217 
sq.  yds. 

Snow  Removal. — The  street  cleaning  specifications  also 
provide  in  case  of  snow  for  the  entire  forces  of  the  con- 
tractors to  be  used  in  removing  the  snow,  when  and  where 
directed.  In  order  to  remove  the  snow  quickly  from  the 
central  and  business  section  of  the  city,  separate  contracts 
are  also  entered  into,  in  which  removal  of  snow  is  paid  for 
on  the  cubic  yard  basis  and  in  most  cases  it  is  dumped  into 
sewer  manholes  at  convenient  locations  or  in  the  rivers. 

Dust  Suppression  on  Suburban  and  Country  Roads. 

The  methods  adopted  to  suppress  the  dust  on  the  suburban 
and  country  macadam  streets  and  roads  in  the  City  of  Phila- 
delphia are  as  follows: 

The  country  and  suburban  streets  and  roads  receive 
bituminous  surface  treatments  of  the  character  best  suited  tc 
the  respective  roads,  which  are  selected  only  after  making 
a  study  of  the  type  of  construction,  the  traffic  and  social 
and  local  conditions  in  each  instance.  Generally  speaking, 
two  methods  of  treatment  are  used  on  the  roads  to  suppress 

NOTE — The  following  is  a  continuation  of  the  table  on 
page  406: 

All   Classes   Materials,   1915. 

Total  gallons  applied 847,606  gals. 

Total  amount  covering-  material 16,089  tons 

Total  cost  .  . . .- $86,598.71 

Average  labor  cost  per  sq.  yd.  for  hand  and  machine 

sweeping,  chipping  and  clean-up — during  1914 $0.02030 

Average  labor  cost  per  sq.  yd.  for  hand  and  machine 

sweeping,  chipping  and  clean-up — during  1915 01007 

Reduction  in  labor  cost  per  sq.  yd.,  1915  over  1914..  .01023 


408  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

the  dust.  For  convenience  they  are  divided  as  follows: 
First,  into  bituminous  surface  treatments,  intended  to  elimi- 
nate the  dust  nuisance  and  preserve  the  roads;  second,  a 
cheaper  method  of  bituminous  surface  treatment,  used  simply 
for  the  purpose  of  laying  the  dust  on  macadam,  cinder,  and 
dirt  roads,  and  not  intended  to  preserve  the  road. 

The  first  method  of  treatment  is  used  only  on  macadam 
roads  that  have  been  put  in  good  condition,  as  it  is  a  waste 
of  money  to  put  a  high-class  bituminous  surface  treatment 
on  a  road  that  is  full  of  ruts  and  pot-holes  and  not  properly 
shaped  up.  The  bituminous  materials  used  in  the  City  of 
Philadelphia  consist  of  coal  tar  .treatment,  hot  application, 
known  as  Tarvia  A;  coal  tar  treatment,  cold  application, 
known  as  Tarvia  B;  water  gas  tar  treatment,  hot  application, 
known  as  Ugite  No.  2;  water  gas  tar  treatment,  cold  applica- 
tion, known  as  Ugite  No.  1;  and  asphalt  cut-back  treatments 
which  consist  of  a  mixture  of  60  to  65  per  cent,  of  80  to  100 
penetration  asphalt,  conforming  to  specifications  adopted  by 
the  Association  for  Standardizing  Paving  Specifications  at 
Pittsburgh  in  1913,  and  35  to  40  per  cent,  of  53  to  60  com- 
mercial naphtha.  All  of  these  materials  are  applied  in  quan- 
tities just  sufficient  to  paint  the  road  and  to  avoid  possi- 
bilities of  building  up  a  pad.  In  other  words  the  purpose 
is  simply  to  have  a  film  coat  of  bituminous  material  on  the 
surface  of  the  road  and  to  re-treat  the  road  as  often  as  is 
necessary  to  maintain  the  film  coat,  and  in  this  way  eliminate 
the  pushing  and  rolling  under  traffic,  which  occurs  with 
bituminous  pads. 

The  method  of  applying  these  bituminous  materials,  when 
the  road  is  in  proper  condition  to  receive  such  a  treatment 
and  the  material  to  be  used  on  the  respective  roads  has 
been  selected,  is  as  follows:  The  roads  are  first  lightly 
sprinkled  with  water  and  then  swept  with  a  horse-drawn 
broom.  They  are  then  swept  with  hand  brooms  until  the 
surfaces  of  the  stone  are  free  from  dust.  This  sweeping, 
however,  should  not  be  done  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
stone  dust  or  binder  will  be  removed  from  between  the 
stones.  The  bituminous  material  is  then  applied  with  a 
pressure  distributor  at  a  certain  rate  per  gallon  which  varies 
on  different  roads,  depending  upon  their  condition,  and  also 
whether  it  be  a  first,  second  or  third  treatment.  The 
bituminous  material  is  then  allowed  to  remain  on  the  r<jad. 
for  about  twelve  hours  or  over  night,  after  which  trie  washed 
gravel — 

Passing   %-in.   screen 100  per  cent. 

No.     4  screen    50  to  60    "       " 

No.    6       "        20  to  30    "       " 

No.  10       "          not    over  10    " 

is  spread  over  the  road  at  the  rate  of  13  to  18  Ibs.  per  sq. 
yd.,  depending  upon  the  amount  of  bituminous  material  ap- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  401 

plied.  In  some  cases  clean  trap  rock  chips  passing  a  ^Hj-in. 
ring  and  retained  on  a  ^-in.  ring  are  used. 

The  theory  of  using  fine  washed  gravel  in  place  of  stone 
chips  is  twofold;  first,  to  use  a  covering  that  will  not  grind 
up  and  pulverize  before  the  bituminous  material  has  set 
up,  and  thus  incorporate  with  it  and  build  up  a  pad,  such 
as  is  the  case  with  the  stone  chips  as  they  pulverize  very 
quicky  under  any  appreciable  amount  of  traffic;  second,  it 
contains  only  10  per  cent,  of  the  fine  sand  and  the  pebbles 
constituting  the  rest  of  the  material  are  so  hard  that  they 
do  not  grind  up  and  pulverize  for  from  three  weeks  to  two 
months,  depending  upon  the  traffic.  The  process  of  pul- 
verizing is  so  slow  that  the  fine  material  is  washed  off  the 
road  after  each  rain,  thus  doing  away  with  the  necessity 
of  sweeping  the  road  to  eliminate  the  dust,  which  is  neces- 
sary where  stone  chips  are  used. 

These  treatments  last  for  a  year  and  have  proved  to  be 
not  only  the  most  economical  method  of  preserving  roads 
of  this  character,  but  the  cost  is  less  than  the  cost  of  sprink- 
ling, provided  the  roads  are  sprinkled  three  times  a  day  and 
this,  by  the  way,  is  not  sufficient  to  lay  the  dust,  and,  of 
course,  it  must  also  be  understood  that  the  sprinkling  with 
water  will  not  preserve  the  roads  under  automobile  traffic. 

The  second  class  of  treatment  generally  used  consists  of 
asphaltic  road  oil  from  18°  to  23°  Beaume  gravity.  This 
material  is  applied  to  all  of  the  macadam  roads  that  arc 
not  in  fit  condition  for  the  first-class  bituminous  surface 
treatment  and  to  all  dirt  roads,  and  is  applied  at  the  rate 
of  0.2  to  0.25  gal.  per  sq.  yd.  On  some  roads,  depending  upon 
the  amount  of  traffic  and  whether  or  not  the  road  is  shaded, 
it  is  necessary  to  treat  the  road  in  May  and  treat  it  again 
in  September.  Such  roads,  however,  are  the  exceptions. 
In  most  cases  this  method  of  treatment  will  last  for  one 
season.  The  roads  as  a  rule  are  not  swept  before  the  ap- 
plication, nor  is  any  covering  put  over  this  bituminous  ma- 
terial, as  it  is  applied  in  such  small  quantities  that  there  is 
scarcely  any  necessity  for  covering.  The  purpose  in  putting 
on  this  small  quantity  is  to  insure  its  disappearing  from 
the  road  before  the  winter  sets  in,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
mushy  condition  that  prevails  when  there  is  too  much  oil 
on  the  road  in  this  season  of  the  year. 

The  paint  coat  method  of  tar  bituminous  surface  treat- 
ments on  first-class  macadam  roads  has  been  a  success  for 
seven  or  eight  years  in  this  country,  and  it  has  also  been 
used  to  a  very  great  extent  for  a  number  of  years  in  Eng- 
land. 

The  asphalt  cut-back  paint  coat  treatments  are  somewhat 
new,  and  have  been  largely  developed  in  Philadelphia  during 
the  last  four  years.  The  successful  results  in  Philadelphia 


410  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

have  led  to  their  use  in  other  localities  in  the  east  this  year, 
notably  by  the  Highway  Department  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania, where  a  large  mileage  of  roads  have  been  treated 
using  this  method.  , 

The  asphalt  cut-back  bituminous  surface  treatment  was 
evolved  through  research  work  carried  on  with  a  view  to 
finding  some  way  to  utilize  an  asphalt  in  the  paint  coat 
method  of  treatment  which  had  been  so  successful  with  the 
tars.  In  order  to  do  this,  it  was  necessary  to  use  a  compara- 
tively stiff  asphalt  so  that  it  would  set  up  quickly  on  the 
road.  This  necessitated  cutting  back  an  asphalt  of  about 
100  penetration  with  from  35  to  40  per  cent,  of  naphtha. 
The  purpose  of  the  naphtha  is  to  make  the  material  of  such 
a  consistency  that  it  can  be  applied  to  the  road  when  it  is 
moderately  warm.  In  other  words,  the  naphtha  simply  acts 
as  a  carrying  agent  and  after  it  has  done  its  work,  it  evap- 
orates and  leaves  the  paint  coat  of  asphalt  on  the  road. 

This  material  has  proved  to  be  a  success  under  a  four 
year  test,  re-treating,  of  course,  every  year  or  two,  or  as 
often  as  is  necessary,  as  is  also  the  case  with  the  tars. 

The  methods  of  bituminous*  treatments  described,  how- 
ever, are  not  applicable  to  all  conditions.  The  roads  treated 
must  be  built  of  comparatively  hard  stone,  and  the  traffic 
conditions  must  be  taken  into  consideration. 

It  is  impossible  in  the  limited  time  allotted  to  this  sub- 
ject to  go  further  into  the  details  of  street  cleaning  and 
dust  suppression,  but  the  tables  (pages  404  and  406)  will  give 
an  idea  of  the  cost  of  cleaning  the  1,425  miles  of  paved  streets 
and  country  roads  under  the  different  methods  in  use,  and 
of  applying  the  bituminous  treatments  of  different  char- 
acters for  the  suppression  of  dust  on  the  242  miles  of  water 
bound  macadam  and  earth  roads  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia. 


MR.  CONNELL  (continuing  extempore):  The  costs  of 
course  all  depend  on  the  cost  of  material.  For  instance,  in 
Philadelphia  for  this  gravel  stone  chips,  we  pay  about  $2  to 
$2.20,  whereas  in  the  Borough  of  the  Bronx  they  pay  95 
cents  a  cubic  yard  delivered  on  the  road.  That  of  course  re- 
duces their  cost.  The  cost  of  the  first,  second  and  third  treat- 
ment based  on  all  the  details,  rate  of  wages  and  cost  of 
materials  which  are  given  here  you  will  see  printed  in  the 
proceedings.  They  are  about  as  follows:  We  find  tar,  hot 
application,  first  treatment,  5  cents;  second  treatment  (I  am 
reading  the  nearest  whole  number),  4  cents;  refined  coal 
tar,  cold  application,  Tarvia  B  first  treatment,  about  6  cents; 
the  second  treatment,  5  cents,  the  third  treatment,  4  cents. 
Of  course  the  cold  material  is  cheaper  than  the  hot  mate- 
rial. We  put  on  a  greater  quantity  per  square  yard  and  we 
treat  a  road  heavier.  With  the  hot  materials  we  put  on  just 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  411 

as  little  as  the  road  will  take.  In  some  cases  we  put  on 
two-tenths  or  a  quarter  of  a  gallon,  seldom  go  over  a  third, 
and  we  only  put  a  third  on  when  the  road  is  more  or  less 
open.  With  the  Ugite,  the  hot  application  is  5  cents,  and 
with  the  cold  application,  the  first  treatment  is  6  cents,  the 
second  4.4,  the  third  3.7.  With  the  asphalt  cut  back  the  first 
treatment  is  about  5  cents  and  the  re-treatment  about  4  cents. 
They  run  pretty  close  in  cost  all  the  way  through.  The  as- 
phalt cut  back  treatment  in  1913  was  about  9  cents  to  the 
square  yard,  1914  7  cents,  1915  5  cents.  This  is  due  to  two 
things,  one  is  that  the  1915  treatments  are  mostly  re-treat- 
ments, and  the  other  is  that  the  naptha  has  gone  away  down 
in  price,  making  this  material  cheaper  than  it  formerly  was. 
The  tar  treatments  have  also  gone  from  1913,  8  cents;  1914, 
6  cents, — this  is  an  average  of  all  classes  of  hot  treatments — 
1915,  5  cents.  Now  the  coal  tar,  the  Tarvia  B  treatment, 
1913,  7  cents;  1914,  6  cents;  1915,  5  cents.  That  is  not  due 
to  any  decrease  in  the  price.  There  is  a  slight  decrease  in 
the  price  in  the  bituminous  material,  but  that  is  entirely  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  organization  is  an  old  one.  It  was  a 
brand  new  one  in  1913  and  the  men  never  had  put  any  of  this 
kind  of  material  on  and  knew  nothing  about  it.  Now  as 
they  are  becoming  more  accustomed  to  it  they  are  reducing 
the  cost,  and  of  course  we  have  considerable  rivalry  between 
all  the  different  units  of  the  organization,  because  we  have  a 
complete  unit  cost  system  operating. 

The  street  cleaning  cost  per  thousand  yards  are  as  follows: 
The  machine  broom,  30  cents;  squeegees,  20  cents;  the 
horse  flusher,  22  cents;  the  auto  flusher,  25  cents.  That 
horse  flusher  cost  doesn't  amount  to  anything  because  we 
have  eliminated  the  horse  flusher  from  our  work.  There  are 
two  kinds  of  horse  flushers.  One  is  a  flusher  where  you  get 
the  water  pressure  from  the  hydrant  and  the  other  is  a 
gasoline  pump,  the  Studebaker  machine.  Where  you  have  a 
high  pressure  in  the  hydrant  that  horse  flushing  is  a  good 
method  to  use,  but  we  have  a  low  pressure  in  the  hydrants 
in  Philadelphia,  and  we  can't  get  pressure  enough  on  the 
pavement,  and  the  gasoline  machines  horse  drawn  are  out 
of  order  about  one-half  of  the  time.  So  if  you  took  that  into 
consideration,  the  cost  would  be  about  double  what  it  is. 
They  are  not  really  an  efficient  method  of  cleaning.  We  have 
abolished  them  in  favor  of  the  auto  flusher,  which  we  have 
been  experimenting  with  this  year,  and  it  looks  today  like 
the  very  best  thing  for  cleaning  stone  block  pavement  other 
than  the  hose  cleaning,  which  is  expensive.  We  have  a 
couple  of  flushers  and  we  are  going  to  add  six  more  this 
year.  Alley  cleaning  runs  about  55  cents.  That  is  due  to 
labor  cost;  hose  flushing,  51  cents.  That  is  due  to  labor 
cost.  The  road  cleaning  we  do  is  all  labor,  and  that 


412  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

amounts  to  about  41  cents  a  thousand  yards.  I  have  the  per- 
centage of  the  work  of  each  class  of  cleaning  to  the  work  as 
a  whole,  and  the  percentage  of  the  cost  of  each  class  of 
cleaning  to  the  cost  as  a  whole.  I  have  the  cost  here  by  the 
contract  system  and  the  cost  if  the  city  operates  the  work, 
which  is  about  $100,000  to  $130,000  less  than  the  contract  sys- 
tem, provided  the  city  operated  it  and  paid  the  same  wages 
the  contractor  does.  If  the  city  operated"  it  and  paid  the 
same  wages  the  municipality  pays  for  labor,  we  would  do  it 
for  the  same  price  the  contractors  do  it. 

The  contract  system  in  Philadelphia  is  something  that 
has  been  handed  down  for  a  great  many  years.  The  legis- 
lature provides  it  must  be  done  by  contract.  There  is  a  rea- 
son for  that.  The  contractors  have  always  been  very  strong 
in  Philadelphia.  The  leading  politicians  are  mostly  all  con- 
tractors. The  contract  system  we  do  not  advise,  and  we 
recommend  every  year  that  it  be  eliminated,  but  the  legisla- 
ture recommends  that  it  be  continued,  and  we  have  it  down 
somewhere  to  a  unit  cost  per  man  per  machine,  if  we  can 
possibly  get  it  to  that  system.  The  force  is  all  uniformed, 
and  the  schedule  of  cleaning  is  once  a  week  for  this  street, 
twice  a  week  for  that,  and  everything  is  stipulated  in  such 
detail  that  there  is  absolutely  nothing  left  to  the  judgment  of 
the  contractor. 

The  same  prevails  as  to  rubbish  and  garbage.  We  have  a 
system  of  fines  to  control  the  work,  but  the  work  is  being 
carried  on  very  successfully  and  has  been  for  the  last  two 
years.  We  have  now  in  Philadelphia/ what  we  consider  and 
what  proves  to  be  the  fact,  from  statistics,  one  of  the  finest 
street  cleaning  forces  in  the  country.  New  York  and  Wash- 
ington are  very  much  up  to  date  in  their  street  cleaning,  and 
we  are  only  second  to  Washington.  All  other  cities  always 
will  be  second  to  Washington,  because  they  have  very  little 
traffic.  It  is  very  much  easier  to  keep  the  streets  clean. 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  I  am  sure  we  have  all  learned 
a  great  deal  from  Mr.  Connell,  and  I  hope  you  all  noted  par- 
ticularly what  he  said  about  the  heavy  asphalt,  that  was  that 
you  must  have  your  streets  cleaned  and  in  good  order  and  a 
hard  surface.  We  have  made  so  many  failures  I  would  be 
glad  to  know  that  nobody  else  would  make  the  same  fail- 
ure in  trying  the  heavier  asphalt  on  the  poorer  road. 

Gentlemen,  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  at  this  time  to  ask 
Dr.  Alfonso  Quinonez,  who  is  a  delegate  from  San  Salvador, 
to  say  a  few  words  to  us.  He  might  speak  from  where  he  is, 
if  he  will.  (Applause.) 

DR.  ALFONSO  QUINONEZ:  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  speak 
English  fluently.  It  has  been  only  a  few  months  that  I  have 
been  in  the  United  States.  My  government  has  received  with 
much  pleasure  the  invitation  of  this  association  to  be  repre- 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  413 

sented  in  this  congress.  In  the  first  meeting  we  had  of  this  • 
congress  Mr.  MacDonald  told  that  the  object  of  this  con- 
gress is  to  let  each  one  relate  experiences  in  the  building  of 
roads.  I  am  sorry  I  have  nothing  to  tell  you  because  in  our 
country  road  building  is  just  beginning.  We  haven't  many 
roads,  many  things  to  show  you.  We  came  to  learn,  and  for 
this  I  only  can  give  you  many  thanks  for  the  experiences  I 
have  heard;  and  I  will  carry  them  with  much  pleasure  to  my 
country.  (Applause.) 

MR.  COBB:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  just  wish  to  make  a  request 
of  the  Congress.  When  the  subject  of  prison  labor  was  up, 
I  had  a  paper  that  was  written  by  Mr.  F.  G.  Twitchell,  Di- 
vision Engineer  in  my  office  on  that  subject,  that  I  wanted 
to  read,  because  I  thought  that  it  would  lead  to  considerable 
discussion  on  the  subject  of  the  present  system  of  working 
prisoners,  and  I  would  like  to  request  the  privilege  of  having 
that  paper  inserted  in  the  record. 

MR.  MACDONALD:     There  will  be  no  objection  at  all. 

(Note. — Mr.  Twitchell's  paper  will  be  found  under  the 
subject  of  "Convict  Labor  for  Highway  Work,"  page  312.) 

MR.  COBB:  In  addition  to  that  the  subject  which  I  was 
on  the  programme  for  came  up  too  late  on  Wednesday  to  be 
discussed.  The  subject  was  "Engineering  Supervision  for 
Highway  Work."  There  were  only  two  phases  that  I  ex- 
pected to  touch  on,  and  they  were  preliminary  investigations, 
the  necessity  for  preliminary,  investigations,  which  I  think 
has  been  largely  neglected,  and  the  other  was  the  cost  of  en- 
gineering supervision.  A  few  months  ago  I  wrote  to  all  the 
highway  commissions  in  the  United  States  requesting  the 
cost  of  their  engineering,  and  also  what  they  charged  to  engi- 
neering, and,  much  to  my  surprise  I  got  answers  that  showed 
a  great  difference  in  engineering  cost.  As  I  remember,  it 
ran  from  3  per  cent,  to  10  per  cent.  That  would,  I  think, 
conclusively  show  that  one  of  two  things  had  happened, 
that  the  engineering  cost  had  been  charged  off  to  something 
else,  or  that  they  did  not  have  proper  engineering  supervi- 
sion. Now  the  most  valuable  reply,  I  am  glad  to  say  at  this 
time,  I  received  from  our  chairman,  Colonel  Sohier,  and  I 
wish  to  request  that  I  be  permitted  to  furnish  the  digest  of 
those  replies  with  Colonel  Sohier's  letters  in  full  to  be  placed 
in  the  record. 

MR.  MACDONALD:     There  will  be  no  objection. 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  I  think  that  will  be  very  inter- 
esting indeed. 

(Mr.  Cobb's  paper  will  be  found  under  the  subject  of  "En- 
gineering Supervision  for  Highway  Work,"  page  265.) 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  Gentlemen,  we  are  greatly  hon- 
ored at  this  meeting,  I  know  you  feel  as  I  do,  by  having  a 
delegate  here  from  San  Salvador,  but  we  also  have  Mr.  Per- 


414  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

nando  Cruz,  from  Guatemala,  and  I  know  we  would  all  be 

glad  to  hear  a  few  words  from  him.     (Applause.) 

FERNANDO  CRUZ:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen:  My 
government  having  received  the  invitation  of  the  Pan-Amer- 
ican Road  Congress,  bestowed  upon  me  the  honor  of  coming 
here  to  represent  it.  I  don't  think  they  found  the  right  man. 
We  came,  naturally,  just  as  Dr.  Quinonez  told  you  a  moment 
ago,  to  learn,  to  see  what  improvements  we  can  take  back  to 
our  country,  to  make  our  roads  better.  Our  country  lies  in 
the  heart  of  America,  of  all  the  great  continent.  It  is  just 
like  the  link  between  North  and  South  America.  It  is  a 
mountainous  country.  It  seems  as  if  it  were  crushed  in, 
pressed  in  by  the  two  big  parts,  the  North  and  South.  That 
is  why  almost  in  every  circumstance  our  roads  can't  be  as 
good  as  they  should.  This  little  data  will  give  you  an  idea 
of  the  difficulty  we  have.  We  have  some  roads,  I  will  men- 
tion two  of  them.  One  is  75  miles  long  and  the  difference 
of  level  between  the  two  ends  of  it  is  5,880  feet.  Another  is 
192  miles  long  and  with  the  same  difference  in  level.  Many 
of  our  big  roads,  that  cross  the  big  mountain  chain,  pass  at 
a  lieight  not  less  than  12,000  feet.  We  have  also  difficulties 
with  the  rain  and  with  the  composition  of  the  soil.  Many 
times  volcanic  ashes  make  it  difficult  to  maintain  the  road  in 
good  shape.  I  know  that  we  have  had  very  good  lessons.  I 
am  sorry  that  we  have  not  been  able  to  bring  here  anything 
of  importance  that  may  help  in  this  big  problem.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

CHAIRMAN  SOHIER:  We  have  an  invitation  here  from 
New  Orleans  to  hold  our  next  meeting  in  that  city.  It  reads 
as  follows: 

New  Orleans,  La.,  Sept.   14,  1915. 
"Pan-American  Road  Congress, 

Oakland,  California. 
Gentlemen: 

On  behalf  of  the  2,000  members  of  the  New  Orleans  Asso- 
ciation of  Commerce,  the  mayor  of  the  City  of  New  Orleans 
and  the  highway  department  of  the  state  of  Louisiana,  we 
extend  to  you  a  cordial  invitation  to  hold  your  next  congress 
in  the  city  of  New  Orleans. 

We  have  ample  facilities  for  properly  handling  the  meeting 
and  caring  for  exhibits,  and  are  ready  to  do  whatever  may 
be  necessary  to  insure  the  success  of  the  meeting  if  held  in 
New  Orleans.  Yours  very  truly, 

New  Orleans  Association  of  Commerce." 

The  matter  will  be  referred  to  the  Executive  Committee. 
Now,  gentlemen,  as  there  seems  to  be  no  other  business  be- 
fore the  convention,  and  as  Mr.  Stern  is  going  to  present  his 
paper  later,  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  your  attention,  and  I 
wish  to  say  that  Professor  MacDonald  will  now  deliver  the 
valedictory,  or  whatever  he  calls  it.  (Applause.) 


PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS  415 

(James  H.  MacDonald  took  the  Chair.) 

CHAIRMAN  MACDONALD:  Commissioner  Sohier, 
Brother  Delegates,  is  always  the  dry  joker.  There  is  no 
valedictory  to  be  delivered.  There  is,  however,  a  grateful 
recognition  on  the  part  of  the  presiding  officer  as  the  mouth- 
piece of  the  several  associations  under  whose  auspices  this 
convention  has  been  held,  to  express  my  gratitude  to  you  all, 
for  not  only  your  patience  and  diligence,  but  your  attendance. 
I  know  it  has  taken  a  great  deal  of  courage  and  considerable 
self  denial  for  the  delegates,  with  so  many  counter  attrac- 
tions, to  be  present  at  these  meetings;  and  yet  I  feel  there  is 
a  compensation  for  us  all  in  having  been  privileged  to  attend 
the  sessions  of  this  congress.  It  is  not  by  might  and  it  is  not 
by  power,  as  we  are  scriptually  enjoined.  The  spirit  that  has 
been  shown  here  will  be  contagious. ,.  You  will  all  go  out 
from  this  meeting,  in  my  judgment,  those  who  have  been 
privileged  to  attend  its  sessions,  better  equipped  in  every 
way  to  do  your  life's  work.  Those  of  you  who  have  been 
privileged  to  attend  the  deliberations  of  this  convention,  who 
come  as  delegates  from  states  that  have  not  as  yet  entered 
upon  this  great  work,  will  carry  back  treasures  greater  to 
your  states,  or  your  several  political  or  geographical  divisions 
of  this  great  country,  than  that  ever  possessed  by  the  Queen 
of  Sheba.  You  have  had  the  privilege  here  during  these  ses- 
sions of  listening  to  papers  and  hearing  discussions  from  a 
hundred  different  sources,  covering  a  range  of  nearly  thirty 
of  the  great  essentials  in  road  building,  from  its  inception 
down  to  the  present  time.  Represented  in  the  expenditure  of 
money,  the  information  which  you  have  had  presented  to  you 
here  has  cost  hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars,  and  every  dol- 
lar of  that  money  has  been  wisely  spent.  It  is  not  so  much 
that  which  has  been  done  or  the  result  so  far  that  has  come 
from  the  doing  of  it,  as  the  privilege  accorded  every  com- 
missioner or  every  man  who  has  been  the  medium,  through 
which  this  money  has  been  expended,  to  see  where  mistakes 
have  been  made,  and  profit  by  them. 

I  have  often  said,  show  me  a  man  who  never  has  made  any 
mistakes,  and  I  will  show  you  a  man  that  never  has  done 
anything.  Life  is  made  up  in  all  its  successes  by  mistakes 
and.  as  I  said  ih  my  opening,  and  I  do  not  take  one  word 
away  from  the  statement  after  having  gone  through  the  en- 
tire week,  this  has  been  a  school;  and  as  the  director,  Mr. 
Brown,  said  over  at  that  meeting  where  we  were  so  delight- 
fully received  and  so  splendidly  recognized  in  our  associa- 
tion work  by  the  presentation  of  medals,  that  that  great  insti- 
tution to  which  the  entire  world  has  been  invited  and  are 
participating  in  is  a  university;  so  what  would  be  more  fitting 
than  that  we  should  come  here  and  attend  this  great  univer- 
sity in  its  sessions,  the  greatest  in  my  judgment  that  has 


416  PAN-AMERICAN  ROAD  CONGRESS 

ever  been  held,  not  in  point  of  numbers,  but  by  the  character 
of  the  papers  presented,  the  knowledge  imparted,  and  the 
experience  on  the  part  of  those  imparting  the  knowledge  that 
they  have  gained  and  transmitted  to  you  to  take  to  the  sev- 
eral parts  of  our  country.  I  think  I  speak  the  mind  of  every 
member  of  the  American  Highway  Association,  the  Amer- 
ican Road  Builders'  Association,  the  Tri-State  Association 
and  the  Pacific  Highway  Association,  when  I  say  that  we  are 
very,  very  grateful  indeed  for  the  courtesies  which  have  been 
extended  to  us,  and  we  have  tried  in  our  way  to  lend  by 
that  which  we  have  imparted,  at  least  in  part  recognition  of 
the  kind  courtesies  we  have  received,  and  we  go  away  feel- 
ing just  a  little  tinge  of  sadness,  because  the  great  citizenship 
which  you  have  here,  that  has  so  kindly  entertained  us  and 
so  hospitably  treated  us-  in  other  respects,  have  not  treated 
us  quite  right;  when  we  go  away  we  shall  leave  our  hearts 
behind;  you  have  taken  them  from  us. 

We  shall  always  look  back  as  one  of  the  very,  very  pleas- 
ant incidents  connected  with  our  great  work  in  propagating 
this  great  movement  throughout  the  country,  to  the  pleasant 
visit,  the  kindly  interest  and  splendid  entertainment,  courtesy 
and  hospitality  that  we  have  received  here  all  over  the 
Golden  Slope.  (Applause.) 

So,  gentlemen,  with  your  permission,  we  will  close  the 
Fan-American  Road  Congress  of  1915,  with  the  lively  hope 
that  we  may  all  met  again  at  some  future  congress  held  by 
these  associations.  (Hearty  applause.) 

(The  congress  then  adjourned  sine  die.) 


SATURDAY'S  AUTO  RIDE 

About  125  delegates  and  guests  of  the  Pan-American  Road 
Congress  made  an  automobile  trip  of  inspection  on  Saturday. 
They  went  over  the  State  Highway  from  Oakland  to  San 
Jose,  about  50  miles,  where  lunch  was  served.  Thence  the 
party  continued  through  Santa  Clara,  Palo  Alto  and  along 
the  peninsula  to  San  Francisco. 


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